What it is to be Necessary
by WingsOfADream
Summary: COMPLETE! Sequel to Epitome of a Soldier. With Voldemort gone for good, many thought Harry would simply allow himself to fade away. He goes on though and must find a new purpose to live. DMHP SLASH within.
1. 4th September 1997

Hi everyone :)

(Appears in several puffs of coloured smoke) I HAVE RETURNED!  
Yes, hello to you all again :D As you can see, I'm back, just like I said I would be, with the sequel to my last fic Epitome of a Soldier. Now, that means that if you haven't read that fic, this one probably won't make much sense to you. Therefore, if you've simply stumbled across this and haven't read EoaS, I suggest you read that first. It's only short, ten average-sized chapters, so go on and do that, I'll wait for you.  
...  
(Whistles the Harry Potter movie theme tune)  
...  
Done? Good :D  
Okay, warnings, just so people can't say they haven't been warned, this story contains SLASH between Harry and Draco (and the odd splash of Sirius and Remus). If it doesn't take your fancy, may I suggest you go and read something different? Perhaps some Harry/Ginny stuff, or Harry/Hermione, or whatever else is popular in the world of hetero-fics, I honestly wouldn't know since I don't read them XD  
For everyone else who's still here, a quick disclaimer:

Harry Potter et al belongs to the lovely Jo Rowling, Bloomsbury and those dudes who make the movies. I don't own it. If I did own it, the series would've gone a Hell of a lot differently and they definitely wouldn't have been children's books XD

And now on with our first chapter.

* * *

4th September 1997: Morning 

The scent of heated sunflower oil, fried eggs and cooking meat greeted Harry as he slowly descended the stairs of 12 Grimmauld Place, his home for just over a month at that point. Reaching the bottom of the stairs and turning to head into the kitchen, he was greeted with the sight of his godfather's back through the open door and it was evidently him who was singing so loudly and so out of tune that the teenager had been able to hear it all the way upstairs. Harry, wearing the simple black robe he always wore, entered the kitchen without making his presence known though it was only a few seconds before he was greeted anyway.

"Good morning Harry."

"Good morning Remus." The dark haired youth replied in his usual quiet, monotoned voice as he sat opposite the tired man at the breakfast table. His posture was still very good, with his back completely straight, but now he no longer held his head up so high and it was bowed with his eyes lowered.

"Morning there kid." Sirius greeted cheerfully from over by the stove, alerted to his godson's presence by his partner's words.

"Good morning Sirius." Harry returned, without emotion as he almost mechanically reached for the pot of tea resting in the middle of the kitchen table.

"Today's the day!" The black haired man declared in a voice which was too loud and too bright for seven o'clock in the morning. "Our young man's first day at Hogwarts. Bet you couldn't sleep last night with all the excitement and anticipation." He teased his godson as he began to dish the prepared food onto two plates.

"I managed." The young saviour replied as though his godfather's comment had been made seriously.

"Sirius, please, I know you're excited but for all our sakes use your in-door voice." Remus sighed, sounding like a frustrated parent.

"I can't help it Moony! I just can't wait, our little man's first day at school!"

"He's seventeen Sirius, he's hardly little anymore."

"He'll always be little to me." Sirius cooed, giving his godson a fond look as he reached the table and set the plates down in front of himself and Remus. "Are you sure you don't want something to eat for breakfast today Harry? You've got a long day ahead after all."

"I am sure."

"All right then, you know best I suppose." Harry's godfather sighed his acceptance. "So, what time was it that Malfoy said he'd be here?"

"His last letter stated that he should arrive at half past ten and Professor Snape said that he would fire-call at a quarter to eleven." Harry revealed before he sipped his tea.

Harry could tell even without looking to Sirius that a derogatory comment about Snape was about to pass from his lips but for whatever reason, (most probably discouragement from Remus) the insult was not spoken. Instead, the three settled into a relatively easy silence. There was a slight discomfort with it, something which asked that someone start talking, but it wasn't over-powering and the three men were content with letting the quiet linger, at least for that moment.

The past month had been extremely different and difficult for Harry. While he had to deal with the fact his magic was evening out and he could no longer perform wandless magic (which had led to a painful ordeal of going to Diagon Alley to buy himself a wand), he also had to manage with being thrown into a world of so many more people all asking questions, all demanding answers, none of them taking the time to understand fully before passing judgement. The once good name of Albus Dumbledore was now tarnished by the act of sealing Harry away as people deemed it inhuman and cruel and that was something that had bothered the dark haired saviour immensely. For so long, Dumbledore had been the only person he had known on any level and to know that people were blaming him was hard. The headmaster had only done what he thought had been for the best and people had no right to speak of such a hero the way that they did.

There was also the life with Remus and Sirius to become accustomed to. Living with them was...A challenge. To Harry it seemed that neither of the men knew exactly how to treat him. They had no doubt had their own ideas and their own dreams about what it would be like to have the son of their deceased best friend living with them and Harry was sure that he had shattered all of those expectations. He had improved with his mannerisms (he now knew the significance of pleasantries such as "good morning" or using "please" and "thank you"), and emotions were becoming less alien to him but he was still far away from being "normal". His voice had remained emotionless, something he hadn't been able to change even when he had consciously tried, and he never used abbreviations, they sounded foreign on his tongue when he had tried speaking them on his own once. He rarely reacted to physical affection (unless it came from Draco), though he no longer shrank away from Sirius' hugs or the spontaneous slaps on the back the man was prone to giving him, and he had yet to really meet anyone else other than five men he was currently acquainted with (journalists and paparazzi didn't count really as he had merely spoken his story rather than talked to them individually as people).

Not meeting people was about to change though because Harry was leaving 12 Grimmauld Place in favour of attending a final year at Hogwarts.

It had been Sirius' idea (no surprise there) but Remus had agreed with it whole-heartedly. The point of attending Hogwarts was not for academic purposes because Harry knew everything and more of what the Seventh Years would be taught and neither was it so he could get his NEWTS. No, the point of attending a single year at Hogwarts was to try and get Harry to "come out of his shell". In other words, it was a way to force him into interacting with new people and to try and help him to learn how to be "normal" just that little bit faster. Harry could understand the logic behind the decision but that didn't mean he had to like it.

And that was something else Harry had discovered he had. Opinions. No longer was the world a fixed set of rules which everyone must follow in the young saviour's mind. He now understood opinions and realised he had several of his own. He did not like to eat bananas nor did he like to eat meat, but he did like drinking pumpkin juice and earl grey tea without milk but with a tea-spoon of sugar. He found reading enjoyable as well as spending time with Draco doing whatever the blonde youth fancied. He thought Quidditch was a pointless activity and didn't see the attraction it held for so many people. Green and red were wonderful colours, especially together, though Harry would never dare to wear them, instead preferring to wear black despite the fact Sirius often teased him about looking a Muggle goth (whatever a goth was). Day was better than night, sunshine better than rain, warm better than cold, cold better than hot and Draco was better than everything.

Yes, Harry felt he had a good understanding of life so far, yet things were not all well. He understood life and there were elements of it he enjoyed but, on the whole, his opinion was that life was a chore and a meaningless one at that. What was the point of it? So much pain and suffering and annoyances to live through for only the odd moment of happiness here and there. People wandering through life without purpose, without a goal, without a reason. It was all so unnecessary...

"Here you are Harry," Remus' voice said then as a hand was placed on the teenager's shoulder while a fresh pot of tea was placed just in front of him on the table.

"Thank you." Harry gave the required pleasantry. The hand on his shoulder gave a few pats before it left. Silence fell over them again as Harry poured himself another cup of tea.

* * *

4th September 1997: Mid-morning 

"Harry! Draco's here!" Remus' voice called up the stairs and reached Harry where he stood in the bedroom he had been assigned upon his first arrival at 12 Grimmauld Place. He knew that no answer was necessary and upon hearing hurried footsteps coming up the stairs, he also knew that his blonde friend was coming to him rather than the other way around.

Indeed, not a minute later and the bedroom door had swung inwards and the form of Draco Malfoy strolled in confidently, a happy smile on his face. "Hello there my Harry." He cooed softly as he approached the dark haired teenager, leaning in and delivering a light kiss on his lips upon getting close enough.

"Good morning Draco." Harry replied softly once the kiss had ended. A very small smile quirked the edges of the young saviour's lips as he looked up at the taller teenager. "My apologies for not being there to greet you, I fear I lost track of time."

"Think nothing of it." Draco assured as he pulled Harry towards himself and wrapped his arms around him in a secure embrace. He leaned down to nuzzle the slope of Harry's neck as he breathed in his scent. "I've missed you." He admitted quietly.

The small smile on Harry's lips grew very slightly at that confession and his eyes softened with emotion as he brought his arms up to hold onto the blonde in return. It had been about a week and a half since they had last been together and Harry was rather inclined to agree with Draco; from spending practically every day together during the summer to spending eleven days without each other had been hard. But at least that was one thing which was good about attending Hogwarts, it meant that he could once again spend every day in the company of his dear friend.

"So," Draco sighed, lifting his head to rest his chin on top of Harry's head but not letting the boy go. "Are you all packed?"

"Yes, I believe I have everything I shall need." Harry answered.

"Good, that just means I don't have to put you down then." And with that, the blonde moved them so they fell backwards and landed on top of the bed Harry slept in. Harry's smile remained as they both bounced on the mattress from the remaining momentum of their landing but once they had settled into stillness, the smile faded somewhat. He was quite comfortable where he was, curled on his side with Draco spooned behind him, but now his mind was plagued with worries. "Are you nervous?" Draco's voice murmured, as though reading the saviour's thoughts.

"Somewhat." The dark haired teenager confessed quietly. "It is a daunting prospect, there will be so many people..."

"I can only imagine how anxious you are." Draco murmured, running a soothing hand over the head of dark hair. "But it'll be all right, I'll be there with you, and your godfather and Lupin will be there too."

"Yes, I suppose." Harry said in reply, though the presence of Sirius and Remus as teachers of DADA and Potions respectively wasn't actually that reassuring.

"My father sends his luck, as does Mother. She's really taken a shine to you, you know."

"I have only ever spoken to her through the floor network once."

"Sometimes once is all it takes." Draco shifted after saying that, moving so the upper half of his body was lifted over Harry, his weight supported on his forearms on either side of the saviour's head. "It only took one hug to make me realise I love you."

"You are far too romantic for your own good." Harry murmured, the soft smile on his face negating any negative effect the stoic tone may have had on those words.

"I know I am, but don't say it out loud, my father would have kittens if he found out." The blonde whispered in a conspiratorial manner. Harry couldn't help it then and he gave a very quiet, almost non-existent chuckle. It definitely happened though and it prompted an absolutely beaming smile from the young Malfoy. "That's the third time I've made you laugh now." He grinned, apparently very pleased with that fact.

"Perhaps you should be awarded a medal."

The smile vanished from Draco's face to be replaced with one of complete astonishment. "Was that a joke?" He paused for a moment before he gave a joyous laugh. "It was, that was a joke! It's another date to remember: fourth of September 1997, Harry told his first joke." Draco leaned down then and placed a light but lingering kiss on Harry's lips then. "You make me so happy." He whispered, only moving back enough to speak, their lips remaining so close that they brushed with each spoke word.

"That makes me...Glad." Harry whispered back, hesitating for a moment when it came to deciding on what word to use.

Draco's smile was tender and adoring then before he closed the gap between them and their lips joined together once again. Their kiss was slow and languid and innocent: there was no use of tongues; their mouths remained shut; and they kept their hands to themselves. Draco was always the one who led their kisses and Harry, although he admittedly knew very little of such things, thought that the blonde was no doubt keeping things light for his benefit, something he did appreciate. Perhaps the day would come that he would want things to move further but for the present he was still getting used to the affection he and his friend currently shared.

The knock and the subsequent opening of the door happened in too quick a succession to allow the two teenagers to separate in time. Therefore, it was the figure of a rather embarrassed looking Remus which Harry and Draco found when they moved apart and opened their eyes. The sandy-haired man was blushing and appeared to be acutely uncomfortable as he looked around at anything but the two young men on the bed. "Yes?" Was all Harry said by way of greeting.

"Severus' is calling." Was all Remus said before quickly hurrying from the room before Harry could give the customary "thank you".

"I never would've imagined it would be so easy to traumatise your godfather's lover." Draco chuckled in amusement as he dutifully rolled off of the form beneath him.

"He has unrealistic expectations." Was all Harry said to that as he too rose from the bed and headed over to the still-open bedroom door.

Without further discussion on the matter, the two teenagers made their way downstairs, Draco following on behind as Harry led the way. They turned to the right upon reaching the bottom of the staircase in order to head into the living room where the fireplace was. However, before they could reach their intended destination, a call of Harry's name from above caught their attention. The blonde and the dark haired youth paused and tilted their heads back to see Sirius' head poking over the edge of the banister upstairs.

"Have you finished packing?" The godfather inquired.

"Yes."

"Okay, I'll bring your trunk down for you." And with that, Sirius' head pulled back and disappeared.

After that short delay, there was nothing else that got in their way on the remainder of their journey into the living room. Draco did the polite thing of opening the door for Harry, something which wasn't acknowledged by the young saviour, not that the blonde minded. Side by side, they moved over to the fire place where the face of Severus Snape was clear in the flickering flames.

"Good morning Professor Snape." Harry greeted in the usual manner.

"Good morning Potter." The man's voice came in reply. "Draco."

"Morning Sev." Draco said with a slight nod to the man.

"What time will you be leaving for King's Cross?"

"About half ten-ish, right Harry?" The blonde stated, glancing to his friend to check he was correct; he received a simple nod in reply. "It's going to be weird not seeing you there everyday Sev," he sighed as he moved his gaze back onto the fire. "And ever weirder to not have you teaching potions."

"I'm sure Lupin will teach just as adequately as I ever did, though I imagine your Defense Against the Dark Arts skills will drop dramatically, even more so then when Lockhart was teaching you." Snape sneered.

"Please do not insult my godfather." Harry requested, looking off to the side instead of into the fire.

Snape gave a somewhat disgruntled noise at that but said nothing by way of apology and instead moved onto another topic of conversation: "The last time we spoke, you were undecided on your third subject Potter, what did you finally choose?"

"Divination." Draco answered in a long-suffering tone. "Can you believe that?"

"It is the subject I know least about." Harry pointed out.

"But still! Why couldn't you have taken Arithmancy with me? Then we'd have all our lessons together."

"Being separated from Mr Potter for an hour or so every day will do neither of you any harm Draco." Snape chided him lightly. "And to you Mr Potter, I find myself wanting to commend you for choosing a subject for your own reasons. I was rather worried you would allow Draco or your guardians to sway your decision."

Harry didn't say anything to that and neither of the Slytherins pressed him for an answer, instead they got the hint he would probably say nothing more now and so went on with a conversation between themselves. As they did that, Harry thought to himself. In his mind, he didn't actually deserve Snape's praise on the matter of "going his own way". When he had chosen to take Divination, the only subject he had chosen which Draco hadn't also chosen, it had not occurred to him that taking it meant he would be without his blonde friend. If he had thought about it properly and realised it beforehand, he knew he would've chosen Arithmancy if only so that he and Draco didn't have to separate. The dark haired saviour wanted to stay beside his friend as much as possible because Draco was a constant. While the world changed around him and life became increasingly complicated, the blonde Slytherin remained the same, familiar, reassuring, and that was something he'd need all the more when he reached the strange surroundings of Hogwarts.

* * *

4th September 1997: Midday 

Despite Harry's progress with emotions and such, there were still a couple of things which were yet to flare up in him. Anger was one and the feelings of self-consciousness and embarrassment were another which was rather handy as it allowed him to deal with situations like his current one very well.

Everyone, absolutely everyone, was staring at him as he walked side-by-side with Draco down the length of Platform 9 3/4, Sirius and Remus following on behind them. Naturally he knew why they were staring and while he thought it was rather pathetic, he had no other opinion on the matter. Let them look, they were doing no harm and he had nothing to hide. The wizarding world knew his story (or at least the story the media had publicised), and it was only natural they would be curious. As long as they didn't start to bother him, he was quite content to allow them their stares. Draco didn't seem bothered by the stares either but Sirius and Remus were another question. Neither seemed happy with the blatant way they were being watched and while the werewolf simply tried to ignore it all, the ex-convict had nothing against shooting nasty glares at anyone whose gaze he caught.

"This is where we get on." Draco said suddenly and Harry turned his eyes to glance at the open door of one of the Hogwarts Express' carriages. A couple of small children, probably First Years, were climbing on board, chatting to each other excitedly as they disappeared inside.

"Then this is where we say goodbye." Remus said as they all came to a stop.

"My little man's first day of school," Sirius gushed as he yanked Harry into his arms in a tight embrace. "I feel like a proud father." He pulled away slightly then so he could grin down at his godson. "Have a good trip there and we'll see you at dinner tonight."

"Very well." Harry murmured his reply and only just managed to catch his balance as he was pulled into another tight hug. As always, he didn't return the embrace but Sirius didn't seem to care and when he was released, the man was still smiling as brightly as ever.

"Don't hide yourself away Harry," Remus advised as he took his turn to embrace the stoic youth. "Use the journey to meet new people."

Harry said nothing to that and when he was released he simply turned from his two guardians to follow Draco onto the train, but not before Sirius lurched forward in order to ruffle his hair. Once on the train, neither boy bothered to turn back and wave and instead started the task of finding a compartment for them to sit in. They mostly went un-noticed now as the majority of the students were focussed on waving off their families from out of the windows so it was without event that Harry and Draco found an empty compartment in which they settled in.

"Ugh, finally." Draco sighed as he slumped down on a seat. "That's the worst part about going back to Hogwarts; the crowds on the platform just before the train leaves." He paused then as he look at Harry while the dark haired youth sat down opposite him. "Your godfather messed you hair up."

Without waiting for a reply (though he wouldn't have got one anyway), Draco moved across the compartment in order to sit on the same side as Harry and promptly began to smooth down the strands which had been raised by Sirius' hand. Harry made no reaction to the treatment and simply allowed the blonde to do as he wanted. He had learnt many weeks ago that it was often best to just allow the young Malfoy to do as he wished without argument, though it was hardly a chore to endure the blonde's touch, Harry actually rather enjoyed it.

Draco took much longer over his hair than Harry really thought necessary and the train had started to move by the time the blonde had finally stopped. His hands never left the young saviour's head though, and instead glided down, fingers trailing down the skin of the pale cheeks and coming up rest around the neck in a gentle, intimate hold. "There," the Slytherin murmured, his face only millimetres from Harry's. "Much better."

Harry thought that Draco appeared to be leaning in to kiss him then but when there was a sudden knock of the compartment door, the aristocrat pulled away to look past the young saviour. As the sound of the door sliding open came, the dark haired boy also turned to look just in time to see two other male teenagers, who he would've actually assumed were older than he and Draco, enter the compartment. Both were massive, big and bulky, and one was rather on the plump side as well. Considering that Draco had not immediately told them to get out, Harry assumed he must have been on friendly terms with them both.

"Ah, there you two are." The blonde greeted them as he stood up. "Crabbe, Goyle, this is Harry Potter. Harry, this is Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle." He introduced confidently. "They're my closest friends so we'll no doubt be spending a lot of time with them throughout the school year."

Neither of the massive boys gave a verbal greeting but instead gave twin nods in Harry's direction. Harry returned the gesture without hesitation though on the inside he was feeling rather on edge. One of these strangers had the last name of Goyle, there had been a Death Eater named Goyle present when he had faced Voldemort. If this stranger was somehow related, then surely he would want some sort of revenge against the one who had sent his family member to Azkaban...

"So," Draco's voice suddenly broke into Harry's thoughts and he came back to reality to find that the two new people were now sitting opposite them. "Have you seen who's here and who isn't?"

"Zabini's not here." The one named Crabbe grunted. "And neither is Nott."

"Don't know about Bulstrode but we saw Parkinson looking for you." Goyle said with a light smirk of amusement.

"Yeah, well she can just keep looking, I'm not in the mood to deal with her right now." Draco muttered as he casually slung an arm around Harry's shoulders. The dark haired youth accepted the gesture of affection without comment and noticed that neither Crabbe or Goyle seemed particularly fazed by the act either; were they used to the Malfoy treating others in such a way? "How about the others from our Year? And what about the Sixth Years?"

"From what we've heard and what we can tell, most of the Slytherin Seventh Years aren't coming back and a good chunk of the Sixth Years aren't around anymore either." Goyle revealed. "I think there's even a few Fifth Years who haven't come back as well."

"Yeah, well, just as long as all that sort is gone, we don't need Death Eaters in our House." The blonde sneered distastefully.

Harry found that he had to bite his tongue in order to stop himself from speaking then. It had been explained to him in one of Remus' "how to deal with the outside world" pep-talks that there were times when you had to think about what you said or did before doing it as it might cause offence or upset others. The desire to point out the fact that Draco was, or at least had been, a Death Eater was present in Harry but he thought that perhaps this was one of those situations where it was not suitable to say such a thing. Besides, the more he thought about it, the more he was sure that Draco was talking about people who were still loyal Death Eaters. Though the majority of them were in Azkaban now, Harry was sure there were still a few wizarding families who believed in Voldemort's ideals and wouldn't hesitate to go back to the "cause" if ever the opportunity presented itself.

After that, Harry allowed himself to fall out of the conversation. He was aware of the voices of the three Slytherins but their words simply washed over him and no actual words registered in his mind. It was actually a rather content time for the dark haired youth. Draco's warmth beside him was pleasant, as was the weight of the arm around his shoulders and the light sensation of the blonde's fingers trailing up and down his upper arm. Yes, it was a lovely moment of peace for the young saviour and a rare moment where he felt safe, comfortable and cared for all at once and he found himself leaning into the one-armed embrace of his best friend. He felt Draco's cheek come to rest of top of his head and Harry knew a small smile had blossomed on his face.

But then a knock came at their compartment door and ruined everything. All conversation stopped and the pressure of Draco's cheek left the top of Harry's head just as the door slid open to reveal an elderly lady pushing a trolley fit to bursting with sweets and cakes and various other snack foods. "Anything from the trolley?" She asked in a friendly, motherly tone.

The two known as Crabbe and Goyle were up in an instant, moving to the door in order to buy as much as they could afford. Draco also stood, though he rose at a much more dignified and sedate pace and only after he had gently untangled himself from the dark haired youth. "Harry, do you want anything?" He asked once he was up and feeling through to pockets of his robe in search of the wallet he knew he had on him somewhere..

"Such food holds no significant nutritional value." The dark haired youth answered in his usual monotone, his gaze falling off to the side.

"That's not what I asked you." Draco teased in a quiet, sing-song voice which no doubt went unheard by the others in the immediate area.

Harry's eyes flickered to his friend's face to see him now leaning down to his eye-level, smiling gently at him. He lowered his gaze again not a moment later though. "I am not hungry." He revealed quietly.

"Fair enough." The blonde conceded and, even without looking at him, Harry knew that he was straightening up and moving off to get his own sweets from the trolley.

Carefully, the stoic youth flickered his gaze over to watch his friend talking with the other two Slytherins and also the woman who had control over the trolley and its contents. He wondered idly why the two strangers seemed so completely unfazed with his manner and resolved to question Draco on it later. For that moment though, he would keep to himself but keep an ever constant awareness of what was happening around him.

* * *

4th September 1994: Evening 

Harry sat at the Slytherin table in the Great Hall, his back perfectly straight as always and his head slightly bowed, his eyes focussed on his neatly folded hands on his lap, just about visible past the edge of the table. On his left side sat Draco and on his right side sat Crabbe, Goyle was sat on Draco's left side. In front of them sat two girls who had been introduced to him as Millicent Bulstrode and Pansy Parkinson. They were the only Seventh Year Slytherins who remained. Further down the table to them was a small group of seven Sixth Year Slytherins. The gaps in the seats and between the sets of students was unusual and uncomfortable but was still not the reason why the entire school felt in necessary to glance over to the upper end of the Slytherin table every few seconds or so.

Beyond all hopes and expectations that he would be Sorted into Gryffindor, Harry had been made a Slytherin. There had been an opening in the Gryffindor Seventh Year (it seems Peter Pettigrew was not just a one off) and the Sorting Hat had offered him that place when the young saviour had gone to the Headmistress' office before the Sorting Feast. Harry had chosen Slytherin though. That was where he wanted to be despite the fact it had horrified the general student population and miffed more than just Sirius and Remus. The dark haired youth knew his limits, he knew what he was and was not comfortable with and ready for. He was not ready to sleep in a strange place with strange people and he was not comfortable with the thought of being so far away from Draco. Gryffindor Tower may as well have been in another country it was so far away from the dungeons. So he had insisted on Slytherin and so a Slytherin he was.

His school robes, though slightly irritating and uncomfortable, were acceptable in Harry's opinion. Unlike the majority of the students who apparently tried to make themselves look as scruffy as possible, the dark haired saviour looked immaculate: the buttons of his robe done up all the way; the top of his neatly fixed green and silver tie poking out just underneath his chin; his trousers crisp and straight; and his shoes polished and a shining black. His appearance coupled with his posture, he really did put all the other students (except for Draco of course) to shame.

"Merlin," Draco muttered beside Harry then and green eyes moved onto him. "How much longer is that old bat going to keep going on for? None of us have been living under a rock for the past year or so, we all know the situation."

Professor Minerva McGonagall, Headmistress of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Dumbledore had talked of her often and thinking back, Harry had the impression that the elderly wizard had planned that he should go into her care, instead of Snape's, should something bad happen before he woke the saviour up. Harry's first impression of the woman had been a sort of neutral one. She was the Headmistress and so deserved respect and she seemed friendly enough, though rather stiff and formal as well. She had explained to him how things worked at Hogwarts, she had gone through his time-table with him and she had invited him to come to her with any problems which may rise for him in the future. Harry's sorting into Slytherin seemed to surprise her more than dismay her which gave definite points in her favour.

"I'm hungry." Harry heard Goyle complain next. "Do you think anyone would notice if I pinched a chicken leg?"

"Don't be so pathetic Gregory," the blonde girl who was Pansy Parkinson sneered at him. "Waiting a few more minutes isn't going to kill you, learn some self-control."

Ah yes, the mystery which was the female species of the human race. The last, real female contact Harry had ever had was with his mother and that was so long ago it hardly counted. He had briefly spoken to Narcissa Malfoy once but that had hardly been anything really. Professor McGonagall had been his first real introduction to a female and he had found her no different from the males he knew of her own age. However, upon meeting females his own age, he had started to notice the difference, especially with Pansy Parkinson. No one he had met yet, other than Death Eaters, had taken an instant dislike to him. Parkinson had changed that. It seemed as though the moment she set eyes on him, she disliked him, which in turn made Harry feel rather inclined to dislike her back. He didn't really understand the reasoning behind the girl's dislike for him. Was it something to do with the fact she was a girl? Were girls less welcoming than males? He didn't think that was the case as the Bulstrode girl seemed friendly enough towards him. Perhaps Parkinson had Death Eaters in her family, perhaps she was angry for the part Harry had played in sending them to Azkaban.

"Finally." Crabbe said beside Harry just as chatter filled the Great Hall and people began to fill their plates with food.

"I thought she'd never shut up." Draco grunted as he too started to put food on his plate. Harry started to do the same moments later. "You wouldn't get such long-winded greeting speeches from a Slytherin Head."

"Professor Snape would've made a lovely Headmaster, it's a shame he's had to leave." Bulstrode spoke up then, doing the same as the others and gathering the food which would be her dinner.

"Potions definitely won't be the same without him, I'm glad I didn't take it." Parkinson said, her tone snooty and pompous.

"You're not taking Potions?" Draco asked with a raised eyebrow, apparently thinking that was rather surprising.

"You are?" The blonde girl asked and Harry thought she sounded rather surprised as well. "I thought you were taking Charms?"

"No, I'm taking Arithmancy, Defense Against the Dark Arts and Potions."

"Defense Against the Dark Arts? You're really carrying on with that rubbish?"

"It isn't rubbish." Draco said with a harsh glare in the girl's direction. "If it wasn't for what I had learnt already, I probably wouldn't be alive now."

"If you'd just shut up and done as you were told your life wouldn't have been threatened." Parkinson grunted lowly, perhaps because she never actually intended to be heard. If that was her intention, she failed because the Malfoy heard her and was not in the least bit amused.

"What was that?" He asked her dangerously.

"Is that all you're going to have?" Bulstrode said very suddenly. The question caught everyone's attention and they all turned to see that it was Harry she was addressing and had her fork pointed to his plate which held only small amounts of peas, mashed potatoes, carrots and green beans, all of which were covered in a decent amount of gravy. "You're allowed more, you know."

"And what's with all the vegetables? Don't tell me that the Wizarding world's perfect little saviour is an animal rights activist as well." Parkinson sneered, earning herself another dark look from Draco.

Before the Malfoy could speak his mind to the blonde girl however, Harry spoke for himself, his naturally quiet voice almost getting lost on the surrounding noise. "I dislike the taste of meat."

Perhaps it was the way in which those words were spoken, or perhaps it was because they were surprised he had answered himself, it was the first time he had actually spoken in the presence of the two girls and Crabbe and Goyle, but whatever the reason, the answer received no verbal reply and only silent stares. The approaching confrontation between Parkinson and Draco was forgotten and no more was said to Harry for the remainder of the meal after that and that was just fine by him.

* * *

End of Chapter 1.  
Merlin, I hope I haven't disppointed you all. I got the feeling that many of you were greatly anticipating this sequel and I hope you all enjoyed that chapter. If not, it gets better, I swear it does!  
Now, update times. I have decided that I'm going to update every other Saturday. Before you start yelling and screaming and throwing stuff at me, let me explain! I only have about nine chapters pre-written, I don't know how many chapters it's going to have and progress can sometimes be very slow. Therefore, I want to play safe so I don't get to the stage where I have no more chapters pre-written and months start to pass by without me updating. I'm sure none of you want that either so for now, put up with the slow updates. Hand on heart, as soon as I have all the chapters pre-written, the speed of updates will be bumped up like it always is :)  
I have spoke far too much for one chapter. I will toddle off now and bid you all bye bye for the moment. See you all next time hopefully :) 

Hugs  
Dream


	2. 5th Sep to 8th Sep 1997

Hi everyone :)

29 reviews...Wow. That kinda makes me speechless. That's an awesome amount of reviews to start a story off with. And only one said that the last chapter was boring! I expected several to say that because, let's face it, the first couple of chapters of a story are never that thrilling, are they? Or at least the first couple of chapters of my stories aren't -.-  
In case any of you are curious, this story (which is still not finished but is a chapter closer to being finished than it was last fortnight) is now officially longer than EoaS both word-wise and chapter-wise, so hopefully that'll cheer up those people who though EoaS was too short.  
I shall stop talking now and allow you all to read :)

* * *

5th September 1994: Morning 

Harry's first night at Hogwarts had not been particularly worthy of note. Upon retiring to the dorm room straight after dinner, Draco had promptly gone about rearranging the beds so the one he had slept in for the past seven years could be next to the one Harry had chosen to sleep in. Nothing much more had happened after that. The two teenagers had lay together on Draco's bed while the blonde had done most of the talking, explaining the things Harry would need to know to get him through life at Hogwarts from how the schedules worked and how to avoid detentions to dealing with the professor's and the other students. Eventually, it had been time for Harry to go to his own bed and go to sleep. He hadn't actually slept very much at all in the end but he put it down to the fact it was a strange bed in a strange place.

Now it was the breakfast before his very first lesson. As always, his breakfast was nothing more than a cup of tea which he drank slowly from where he sat, once again, between Draco and Crabbe. The Malfoy had already finished his breakfast and was now concentrating on comparing Harry's and his own time-tables as well as those of Crabbe and Goyle.

"So you've got a free period then and I haven't," Draco was murmuring and although he was speaking as though he was talking to Harry, the dark haired youth imagined he was simply thinking out loud. "All your Divination classes are when I have Arithmancy so I won't be able to sit in those with you and you've got two free periods in a row on Friday but only the first one is when I have a class one so I'll join you for the second. Apart from those things, the rest of our classes and free periods we have together so it could be a lot worse, though admittedly it could also be a lot better."

"When do you both have Potions?" Bulstrode asked then from where she was sitting opposite Harry and eating a bowl of cereal.

"Mondays five and six, Tuesdays seven and eight, Thursdays one and two, and Fridays seven and eight."

"Oh, we're in the same class then." The girl said happily. "There are two classes this year, the demand for the subject was so high. Pansy has free periods when we're in lesson."

"I'm in the second class." Crabbe spoke up then.

"Oh good, Parkinson will have company during her free periods then." Draco sneered, sending a malicious smirk in the blonde girl's direction.

The look didn't pass the girl by and she returned the sentiment with a glare. "And what have I done exactly to deserve such a look from you Draco? The last I checked we were on quite familiar and friendly terms."

That, admittedly, peeked Harry's interest though he showed no outward signs of it being so. The way Draco had been treating Parkinson, he had simply assumed he had never liked her. Now it seems they had, at one point, been on friendly terms and it hadn't been so long ago if the girl's words were to be believed.

"That was before you took such a blatant and uncalled for dislike to Harry." Draco told her icily.

"You're choosing him over me?" Parkinson demanded indignantly.

"I'd choose Harry over anyone." The Malfoy told her easily before glancing to the young man in question. "Finished Harry?"

No, actually he wasn't but Harry recognised the question as a desire to find a way to escape further conversation with Parkinson. "Yes."

"Shall we go and wait for our first lesson then?"

"Very well." Harry agreed as he stood with the effortless grace which hadn't abandoned him like his ability to perform wandless magic.

"We'll see you two at lunch." Draco told Crabbe and Goyle and got two grunts in reply.

Together, the two Slytherins stepped over the benches and began to make their way out of the Great Hall, side by side. They caught the attention of dozens of people from all four houses as they left, all of whom were no doubt curious about their dark haired saviour. When they were half way out of the doors, Draco reached over to find Harry's hand and, upon discovering it, he took hold of it, lacing their fingers together intimately. Harry made no reaction to the gesture, he was used to such a thing and he didn't care if the ones still staring from the tables in the Great Hall saw or not, his ability to feel self-conscious or embarrassed still completely dormant or perhaps not even in existence.

Harry and Draco made their way to the DADA classroom in silence, neither feeling the need to speak and simply happy to share the intimate contact of their linked fingers. When they reached the classroom door, a quick push from Draco revealed that it was locked and so they remained outside. The blonde young man leaned back against the wall next to the door casually before he gave Harry's hand a light tug, drawing the smaller form to him so he could wrap his arms around him comfortably.

"We have the whole afternoon free today." The Malfoy murmured as Harry settled against him comfortably, bringing his hands up to rest just underneath the blonde's shoulders where he idly ran the pads of his fingers over the warm material of the Slytherin's school robe.

"Yes, we do."

"I'll show you around the school grounds, give you a chance to get a proper look at everything."

"Very well."

A pause and a moment of silence then.

"Harry?" Draco was the first to speak again.

"Yes?"

"Would you mind if I kissed you?"

"Have I minded before?" Harry answered and what may have sounded teasing only sounded like a question when spoken in his stoic monotone.

"No, but this is different. There are more people around who might turn a corner and find us."

Harry pulled back very slightly then so he could peer up at his friend's face. "And this concerns you?"

"No, not at all, I was only worried it might bother you." Draco explained.

"I do not care." Harry reassured him. "I did not pull my hand away before and I will not refuse your advances now. The other occupants of this school are of no concern to me."

Draco looked down at him carefully for a moment, as though he was trying to figure something out. Soon enough though, he was smiling down lovingly at the boy in his arms. "You never cease to amaze me."

Those words only served to confuse the dark haired youth but before he could question their meaning or the reason they had been spoken, he found his lips covered with those of another and he was effectively silenced. It was a kiss the same as the others they shared but it was enough for the teenagers despite its simplicity. For them, the world narrowed until they were the only people left in it, neither caring if the rest of mankind ever returned as long as they could continue to be together as they were at that moment, wrapped in each other with lips joined sweetly.

A clearing of a throat reminded the two boys of reality and slowly, with no real hurry, they ended their kiss and directed their gazes to the right, where the sound had come from. They found the figure of Sirius Black standing just a few feet away from them, an amused grin on his face as he stared right back at them. "Hate to interrupt but other people will be arriving soon and I don't think you really want to be seen snogging by your classmates." He told them as he walked over. Passing them, he ruffled Harry's hair affectionately, something the youth made no reaction to, before he unlocked the classroom door and opened it. "Come in whenever you're ready." And with that instruction, the man who would be teaching them Defense Against the Dark Arts disappeared behind the closing door.

"I'm surprised of how accepting he is of the situation." Draco said quietly, not wishing to be over-heard by the man. "He's the sort of man to bear a grudge and considering who my parents are..."

"He finds it reassuring." Harry said quietly, cutting the blonde off half way through his sentence. "Sirius finds my manner unnerving and when he sees us together, he allows himself to believe that I am like others and there is hope for be to become normal."

Draco gave a snort of distaste at that. "Normal. What is normal? It's a completely relative term. As far as I'm concerned, you are normal Harry, as normal as you ever need to be and besides, if you were like everyone else then you wouldn't be my Harry."

The dark haired youth felt an odd stirring in his chest at the implication of ownership used by his friend but before he could begin to question both himself and Draco, the blonde took his hand and began to lead him into the classroom. They entered silently, with Sirius simply glancing up at them when he heard them before he went back to copying something out of a book onto the black board. Draco led them both over to the left hand side of the room where he took his usual seat, one row in from the left and two seats away from the front. Harry sat on the seat directly to the blonde's left, so that he was sandwiched in between his friend and the wall.

And that was how they remained as they waited for the lesson to begin. Harry was leaned forward slightly, his elbows resting on the edge of the desk and his hands carded in front of his mouth while Draco leaned back in his chair casually, idly flicking through the DADA textbook they would be using throughout the rest of the year. Other people began to filter into the room slowly, a slow whispered chatter entering with them, but the two Slytherins ignored them completely. They were the only Slytherins in the Seventh Year who were taking DADA so no one ignored them but, as always, as long a no one tried to strike up a conversation or started to ask too many questions, Harry was content to let people stare and gossip as much as they liked.

After ten minutes or so, everyone due to arrive had, a grand total of twenty-two students from all four houses taking the subject. Clusters of seats were empty, the ones in front of Draco and Harry being two of those, and everyone seemed to have grouped together with their house mates. The Ravenclaws were at the front and on the right, the Hufflepuffs were also to the right but stayed at the back, and the Gryffindor were also at the back but to the left, directly behind the two Slytherin students. The quiet talking between students continued right up until Sirius caught their attention, at which point it slowly faded as people focussed on their new teacher.

"Good morning class." Sirius greeted them cheerfully as he began to make his way down the row of desks. "My name is Sirius Black and some of you might recognise me as an ex-Azkaban convict, or more pleasantly as our dear Harry Potter's godfather." As he said that he ruffled said godson's hair, once again getting no reaction to it. The class simply seemed rather bemused by this. "Passing notes between yourselves is encouraged though if I catch you, you will be given detention if only as punishment for letting yourself get caught in the first place. Assignments you can do or you can leave, I can't be bothered to mark essays if you can't be bothered to write them and if that's the case, I think you should be asking yourself why you're wasting your time in school when you could be out there and getting a job."

"So does that mean we don't actually have to do any work?" A voice behind Harry whispered.

"On the contrary Mister..." Sirius quickly answered, the sentence hanging so the male teenager could fill in his name.

"Weasley, Ron Weasley." The voice answered, now sounding embarrassed.

"Well Mister Weasley, to answer your question, no, it does not mean you don't have to do any work. Classes will be tough, challenging you all mentally and physically and I do not tolerate bunking off. If you miss one of my lessons, I want a decent reason why which has been confirmed by your Head of House or another professor. Now, are there any questions?"

The room was silent though the atmosphere was slightly tense. Harry wasn't sure why. Perhaps the students were unsure of Sirius' manner or perhaps they had question they wanted to ask but didn't think them appropriate and so were keeping quiet. Whatever the reason, the tense silence continued to linger until it was once again broken by their teacher.

"All right then," Sirius said brightly as he moved back over to the blackboard. "Let's go over what we'll be going for the rest of the year, shall we?"

* * *

5th September 1997: Midday 

The rest of the DADA lesson had gone smoothly and the next lesson of Potions had gone much the same way. There were countless stares from every student as Harry sat in class or walked down a corridor, he and Draco simply minding their own business, but no one had yet approached him and as he had no desire to approach them, the dark haired youth had yet to meet anyone new. Remus had proved to be a competent and friendly teacher and the whisperings that he was far better than Snape were audible to those who cared to listen. Harry had ignored the opinions. He had no experience of Snape's teachings and so could neither agree or defend the man who was an odd sort of cross between a mentor, a friend and a mere acquaintance.

Once the Potions lesson was over, Draco and Harry both had two free periods in a row which meant the rest of their day was free and the blonde Slytherin had decided that they were going to spend it wandering around the school so the new student could get a better feel for the building. So, from the end of their lesson to lunch time, they had explored every nook and cranny of the castle before heading to the Great Hall for lunch. Then, after eating in the company of the other four Seventh Year Slytherins, Draco had declared that it was time they went outside so Harry could see the Quidditch pitch and the lake and other such things. Crabbe and Goyle had joined them and so there they were, wandering through Hogwarts' grounds, Harry and Draco in the front with their arms linked with Crabbe and Goyle lingering a few paces behind them.

"And here," Draco said as they came to a stop just by the edge of the Quidditch pitch. "Is where the practices and the games are held. You no doubt remember that I told you I was on the Quidditch team and practices start again next week so this is where you'll come to watch me."

Harry said nothing to that. He had trouble thinking of anything quite so dull as watching a Quidditch team practice but if Draco wanted him to be there then he would. He glanced around himself and above. The spectator stands were extremely tall but he supposed they had to be since the sport was played in the air. At that moment there was a team already practicing and judging by their crimson uniforms, they were Gryffindors. It was hard to make out any details as they were up so high and Harry was down so low but if the loud shouts from the teenagers were anything to go by, the team was amused enough by their play.

"The first game is in November." Draco was saying and had not stopped talking since Harry had become lost in his musings. "It'll be Slytherin against Gryffindor, it always is. To be honest, I'm not sure about our chances against them this year. We've lost a lot of our best players and it'll be an almost completely new team, I'll be the only one continuing on from last year. I would suggest you try out but we all know how you feel about broomsticks and heights." He said with an amused grin.

Harry said nothing in reply as his attention was focussed on the form or a ginger haired young man, the same age as he and Draco, who was flying down to more their level. "Oi Malfoy, what do you think you're doing here? Get lost!" The Gryffindor ordered and Harry realised it was the same voice which had been spoken behind him during the DADA lesson.

"Shove off Weasley, you don't own the Quidditch pitch." Draco retorted, his voice raised only so the Gryffindor above could hear.

"But we do own the strategy you're trying to steal." Another Gryffindor with blonde hair and a thick Irish accent joined in.

"Oh please, we might be down a player or two but we're not so desperate as to need or even want to steal your pathetic tactics." After the blonde Slytherin had said that, he turned his attention back onto Harry. "C'mon, we'll go down to the lake next." And with that, he began to lead the small group away. When the pitch was a suitable distance behind them, Draco smirked in amusement. "Stupid Gryffindorks, think the entire world revolves around them."

"Do all the Houses show each other such hostility?" Harry asked in a quiet, somewhat sad, voice.

"Not really, Gryffindors and Slytherins are the worst about that sort of thing though that's not saying Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff don't feel the same way about us, they just tend to keep it to themselves more."

"Do you not think that should change?"

Draco seemed to actually think about that question for a moment before he decided to answer. "Perhaps," he admitted. "But I think it's one of those things that can't change. It's human nature to want to belong to a group, to be part of something bigger, and to want to hold grudges and rivalries and share a common "enemy" with others and the separate Houses do that. Perhaps the gap between the Houses could be bridged for a short time but it's nothing that would last very long because as soon as those who created the bridge graduated and left, it was no doubt be burnt down by the new generation and the rivalry would begin afresh."

It was then that they reached the lake where they paused and looked out over the water in silence. Ripples grew over the surface as slight movements beneath caused the water to churn and shift and Harry watched, transfixed, as he thought over his friend's words and their implications. Did mankind really have such a strong desire to cause war and create disharmony? Or was it something else? Were the rivalries created and upheld because it created a purpose? The rivalry gave a purpose to Quidditch, it gave some a reason to study as hard as they could, to improve themselves so that they might beat those whose only difference was to belong to another House, another group. Was the human race really so pitiful, that the only purpose they could find in life was born out of rivalry and hatred?

"I do not understand," Harry murmured very quietly, his gaze never leaving the surface of the water. "Why man-kind must find its purpose in hatred."

"I don't think anyone does." Draco said just as quietly. "Perhaps it's because some people never find anything better to do with their life. I used to be like that, I used to be all for the hatred of anyone who wasn't a Slytherin or a pureblood; perhaps I still am. But it's not my main concern anymore," he paused then as he took one of Harry's hands and brought it up to his lips. "I've found my purpose." His voice was gentle and adoring, his lips never leaving behind a kiss but brushing against the flesh of the dark haired youth's hand as he spoke.

Draco offered a smile just over the pale knuckles of the saviour's hand and it was returned with one of Harry's own, the very slight up-curving of the corners of his mouth which coming from anyone else wouldn't be considered a smile. It was a smile when coming from Harry though and Draco felt his heart flutter at the sight. Finally, he placed the kiss on the hand which he had always intended before he laced their fingers together in a gesture which was now both familiar and welcomed by the dark haired teenager.

They said no more words after that and simply turned from the lake, silently continuing their walk around the grounds of Hogwarts, followed by the two burly figures of their fellow Slytherins.

* * *

6th September 1997: Morning

Harry's second day of lessons at Hogwarts brought with it the first time he would have a lesson without Draco. It was hard for him to adequately describe what he was feeling as he walked through the corridors on his own, heading towards the attic where Divination lessons were held. What he was feeling, it wasn't enough to be called fear and apprehension also seemed too strong a word. It was strange to be without Draco, to be without anyone, he was so used to always being in the presence of the blonde or at least Sirius and Remus. He wasn't lonely and neither was he feeling self-conscious, it was simply a strange feeling. Perhaps it was nothing more than because it was different. He was used to someone else always being around, to be suddenly alone would obviously make him feel odd, and it wasn't as though it was a bad feeling though it wasn't a good feeling either. It was simply a feeling.

You see, it was a very hard thing for him to adequately describe.

The students around him still stared and whispered and pointed, no doubt now wondering why the he was walking the corridors of Hogwarts alone. Draco had offered to walk with him to the lesson but Harry had seen little point and said so. The blonde had seemed a little miffed with that and so Harry had explained what he meant a little more, pointing out that it would make Draco late for his own lesson. The fact that the dark haired youth had turned down the offer more for his sake than anything else had obviously reassured Draco as he had perked up and admitted that perhaps Harry did have a point. Then, when the Malfoy had offered the service of Crabbe and Goyle to walk with him, Harry had simply come straight out and said that he was quite able to manage walking somewhere on his own.

Upon finally reaching the entrance to the Divination classroom/attic, Harry easily climbed up through the trap door. He ignored the way the room fell into silence the moment he was spotted and instead moved further into it, heading over towards where the student's desks and chairs were.

"Harry Potter, my dear boy," a woman's voice greeted him and his eyes followed the sound to see the woman who he knew was Professor Trelawney as Draco had pointed her out that morning at breakfast. "Welcome to my domain," she said grandly as she walked over to him. Harry watched her with a rather blank expression as she was suddenly upon him, his right hand in both of hers as she carefully studied the palm with both fingers and eyes. "Oh, I see a great danger in your future," the woman warned him, apparently completely serious. "Hard times are ahead of you."

The declaration and their position did nothing more then attract the attention of everyone in the room. If it was supposed to make Harry react in any way, it failed miserably as the moment the woman had finished talking, the dark haired youth pulled his hand free of hers and turned from her without a word. Under the steady watch of everyone in the room he made his way over to an empty table near the back where he sat down gracefully and proceeded to take up the position he seemed fond of taking during lessons; leaned forward slightly, elbows resting on the edge of the table and hands carded in front of his mouth.

With his position settled, he made no further movements and slowly but surely, everyone in the class came to realised that their saviour was neither going to move again nor speak at all. Slowly, the teenagers in the room turned their attention back onto their professor who still looked rather surprised by the new student's manner. She soon snapped herself out of it though, no doubt prompted by the half a dozen or so stares fixed on her, and she turned her attention back onto the class.

"Has everyone who has realised their destiny arrived?" She asked them grandly. Upon getting no reply, she spoke again. "Splendid, then we shall begin and connect to the energies of time around us."

* * *

6th September 1997: Midday

Professor Trelawney was by far the strangest person Harry had met so far. On the whole, the woman seemed eccentric, passionate about the subject she taught and eager to teach it but still apparently not being all there in the head. However, closer observation revealed that the woman had odd moments of clarity, where she lost the eccentric quality that otherwise seemed to be ever present. It only happened when the woman appeared to think no one was paying attention to her. Harry had been paying attention though and he couldn't deny he was now rather intrigued by the woman. The lesson was now over though and the dark haired youth was entering the Great Hall where his focus would be on eating his lunch rather observing the strange Divination professor.

Upon entering the Great Hall, Harry had immediately noticed that there was only one person sitting at the Seventh Year end of the Slytherin table and that was Millicent Bulstrode. He paid her no mind as he sat opposite her, not even glancing up when she greeted him: "Hey there Harry."

"Good afternoon." He returned quietly; no need to be rude after all.

"How was your first Divination lesson?"

"Disappointing." Harry revealed as he reached for the pot of tea not too far down the table from him. "I am reluctant to jump to conclusions on the subject's merit but I cannot deny that my first impression was that Draco was correct when he said divination techniques are shams which are random at best."

"Well, I personally never had any success with the subject," Millicent recalled, buttering a scone idly as she spoke. "But I've always thought of it like this; there has to be some merit to the subject otherwise they wouldn't teach it."

"That is what I said to Draco." He murmured before he glanced around himself. "Should he not be here yet?"

"It's the lesson before a break, sometimes teachers go over the lesson time if there's something they want to finish discussing. He'll be along soon enough." She reassured him.

They fell into a comfortable silence then, both going about their own lunches. It was just as Harry had finished pouring his tea and was spooning in some sugar that he caught sight of Draco, Crabbe and Goyle either side of him, enter through the doors of the Great Hall. The small amount of anxiety Harry couldn't deny he had felt disappeared in an instant but he gave no outward signs that anything at all was different. He simply stirred his tea.

Upon reaching them, Draco easily stepped over the bench and slid into a sit, close beside Harry. "Hey there." He greeted with an indulgent smile as he leaned closer and pecked a kiss to the dark haired youth's cheek.

The sound of Millicent choking stopped Harry's return greeting before it even had a chance to be spoken and prompted all the boys to look at her and see her holding a napkin against her mouth. She coughed a few more times before she lowered the napkin and spoke in a rather strained voice: "Has Pansy seen you do that yet?"

"Do what?" Draco asked with a frown, still leaning in close to Harry.

"Kiss him."

"Not that I'm aware."

"You haven't then. You know she's going to explode right?"

"Why? I've hardly been pleasant to her lately and I've made no secret of mine and Harry's relationship, she's seen us holding hands." The blonde reasoned truthfully.

"She doesn't know it's a relationship though. She thinks it's just the way you treat Harry because he's...Erm, well, because he's..." Millicent hesitated.

"Odd." Harry filled in for her before he lifted his cup and took a sip of his tea.

"No! Well, okay, that's what she thinks." She said with a blush. "I don't think that though, I...I think you're a lovely person."

There was silence at that statement, a heavy silence which smothered all desire to break it. It appeared, at first, that as Draco moved away from being so close to Harry he was the one who was going to break it and rather spectacularly at that, no doubt with a cold warning for her to keep her school girl fantasies to herself. But he was beaten to it, and it was Harry who replied first: "Thank you." Was all he said in his simple monotone.

Harry sensed the change in Draco the second he had spoken. It was sometimes the case that Draco didn't even have to speak and Harry was able to decipher exactly what was on his mind and such was the situation at that moment. The Malfoy was suddenly rather annoyed and though the cause of the irritation was not blatantly obvious, the glare he had levelled on Bulstrode implied that she was the source for some reason. Only Merlin knew what she had done to deserve the dark look and so Harry decided to attempt to remedy the situation, not only to save the girl but also to save his afternoon; a huffy Draco was not a nice Draco.

"Draco?" The young saviour said softly.

"What?" The blonde grunted, not sounding at all happy.

"Perhaps you could assist me in identifying the food which contains no meat."

Hard, pewter-grey eyes moved onto Harry and almost instantly softened. Draco obviously recognised what the dark haired teenager was trying to do and whether the desire to resist was there or not, the Malfoy obviously didn't feel the inclination to do so. So, instead, he sighed and gave a nod. "Of course."

* * *

8th September 1997: Evening

The days had passed by smoothly and without any significant event. Harry was still getting used to Hogwarts and finding his feet. Although he had seen both of his guardians on several occasions, he had been called to see them both in the DADA classroom and what Harry had first assumed was going to be about school had turned into nothing more than a meaningless gossip session in which Remus and Sirius pumped him for information about what he had been doing and how things had been going during his first few days at Hogwarts.

"How are things going with meeting new people?" Remus asked kindly as they moved on from discussing Divination.

"I have only met the other Seventh Year Slytherins and Professor Trelawney and Headmistress McGonagall." Harry answered from where he sat behind a desk in the middle of the front row, back perfectly straight as usual.

"No one from the other Houses? Not even a few Gryffindors?" Sirius asked hopefully, sitting on the edge of his desk at the front of the classroom.

"No."

"Has anyone other than the Seventh Year Slytherins tried to talk to you at all?" Remus inquired. "Perhaps asked you about your favourite subject or what you think the weather's going to be like tomorrow?"

Harry gave the werewolf an odd look. "Why would I know the answer to a question such as that?"

"Wait," Sirius gasped in a dramatic manner. "You mean the Boy-Who-Defeated-He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named can't predict the future?"

"Sirius, if you can't say anything constructive, just don't speak at all." Remus said with a glare in the dark haired man's direction. Sirius did as he was told, sending a grin over to the other man and drawing a pinched finger and thumb across his lips in a gesture Harry neither recognised or understood. Remus simply shook his head at the action though and so the youth assumed it was simply one of Sirius' strange ways. "Anyway, as I was saying Harry, some people might bring up the subject of the weather to break the ice before an actual conversation starts."

Harry stared at Remus blankly for a few seconds. "I do not understand," he said in his usual monotone. "Why is it necessary for ice to be broken before a conversation begins?"

Sirius made a choking sound which was clearly a muffled laugh but he was ignored by Harry and shot a disapproving look by Remus before the Potions professor concentrated on answering Harry's question. "I don't mean literally. To break the ice is an expression, I've told you about them before, remember? An ice breaker is a comment or question which makes a conversation easier to start."

"And why is such a thing necessary?"

"Well, some people find it helpful when talking to people who make them nervous. Not everyone has the ability to not feel self-conscious or embarrassed like you do Harry and some might not have the confidence to come right out and speak their intent, especially to someone like yourself."

"I see." Harry replied despite the fact he didn't really. He still though it seemed like an awful waste of time but he knew to have Remus try and explain it all to him again would only be a useless and painful process.

Remus seemed to sense that from the dark haired youth as well as he sighed and shook his head. "All I'm saying is that if someone approaches you with what you deem to be an irrelevant and useless topic of conversation, you shouldn't immediately dismiss them as a waste of your time."

"Very well."

"All right then. We'd best let you get back I suppose, you no doubt have an assignment or two that needs to be done." Remus said by way of dismissal.

Actually, Harry had already done the three assignments he had been set, one for each lesson, but he saw little point in revealing that. The conversation was over and it had been another way for Remus to say "you might as well go now". So, following the instructions, Harry stood from his seat. "Good evening Remus, good evening Sirius." And with that said, he turned and made his way out of the room, leaving his guardians behind to talk between themselves.

* * *

End of Chapter 2.  
Ugh, this was a boring chapter, wasn't it? In my defence, it is only the beginning of the story but still, really boring chapter. Sorry about that :( Next chapter, stuff starts to happen though so hopefully it will be more interesting. And if you are starting to wonder whether this story is worth your time, just remember that this is going to be M rated for a reason, hint hint, nudge nudge :D  
Okie dokie, that's me done for another chapter once again. I'll see you all again soon in just a couple of weeks.

Hugs  
Dream


	3. 6th Oct to 27th Oct 1997

Hi everyone :)

Thank you all so very much for the reviews :) A few more people agreeing with me that last chapter was a touch boring than before but I was pleased that more than a few of you didn't think last chapter was boring at all, that made me really happy :) I hope you all continue to stick with me and this story because it gets soooo much better.  
I completed another chapter and a half over the fortnight, one and a half steps closer to finishing and one and a half steps closer to swifter updates :)  
Enough from me, on with the chapter.

* * *

6th October 1997: Midday 

Harry's first month of Hogwarts was officially over. He had attended all his lessons, completed all his assignments and handed them in on time, he had watched Draco during Quidditch practices, he had spent his alone time in the library and the time he spent with Draco was spent doing a lot of different things, though the blond's favourite one seemed to be retreating to their dorm room and cuddling on his bed. He still knew no one outside his professors and the small group of Seventh Year Slytherins, mostly because no one from the rest of the school had ever approached him and Harry didn't care enough to make the effort himself.

At that moment, he had been called away from Draco and the other Seventh Year Slytherins in order to have lunch with Professor McGonagall. The headmistress had requested Harry's presence in her office when they had passed each other in a corridor earlier that day. Upon arriving, the dark haired youth had discovered that the elderly woman wanted nothing more than a friendly chat and to make inquiries as to how his first month had gone.

"Having spoken to your teachers I must say I'm impressed, Potter, you've had perfect marks in everything so far. Are you finding the classes too easy?" McGonagall inquired from behind her desk.

"The classes are satisfactory." Harry assured in his usual monotone. He sat in a heavily-stuffed armchair opposite to the headmistress, his posture perfect as always and with a cup and saucer resting on his right knee, steadied by his right hand.

"Oh good, well as long as you don't find yourself getting bored..."

Now, he hadn't said that. In all honesty, Harry was terribly bored. His life seemed to have taken on a meaningless pattern which frustrated him and made him restless (or as frustrated and restless as someone such as Harry could be). He didn't understand why he felt as he did so he hadn't spoken to anyone about it, though he also saw little point in doing so anyway. It was doubtful that anyone would be able to do anything about it and he had to admit that it did sound awfully childish, sort of like a toddler whining to its mother that it was bored and needed to be entertained.

"...Glad to help." McGonagall's voice registered to Harry once more and he realised the woman had continued to talk while he pondered his situation. "Something else I wanted to ask about was your social skills. How are you getting along with the other Slytherins?"

"Well." Was Harry's one word answer to that.

"Good, and what about students from the other Houses?"

"None have approached me."

"Have you approached them?" The headmistress asked.

"For what purpose?"

"To make friends."

"To make friends is unnecessary."

"Oh? Why do you think that?"

"Friendship is a distraction."

"A distraction from what?"

Any answer Harry may have spoken died in his throat as that question struck a chord in him. A distraction from what...Indeed, what did he have to be distracted from? Friendships were a distraction, he knew that for a fact, his friendship with Draco was more than enough proof, but there no longer seemed to be anything in his life to be distracted away from. His school work wasn't an issue, he barely ever listened in class and he still got perfect marks because it was all stuff he already knew. There was no search for Horcruxes, he was surely safe from stray Death Eaters in Hogwarts and he had just admitted to himself that he was terribly bored. Perhaps more friends, new friends, would bring some purpose back into his life.

It was a definite possibility and one he would consider at length later on. But at that moment, he had a lunch to eat and a series of questions to answer.

* * *

6th October 1997: Evening 

"So what was it McGonagall wanted?"

Harry paused in his reading to glace up at Draco, expecting his gaze to meet with grey eyes but instead he saw the blond staring up at the canopy above. Dinner had been and gone and now the students had their free time before curfew. As had become usual for the couple, Harry and Draco had returned to their dorm room and promptly settled themselves on the Malfoy's bed. Draco laid on his back, his head on his pillow, while Harry was curled up near the bottom of the bed, a book open beside him. They had been enjoying an easy silence, until Draco's question had broken it of course.

"She inquired as to how my first month here has been." Harry replied in a murmur, his eyes falling back to his book.

"To which you said...?" Draco inquired in a lazy manner though there was a hint of something else in there, something Harry didn't quite recognise or understand.

"That it has been satisfactory."

"Was it just a general question or did she ask for specifics?"

Harry, then, got the distinct impression that this was going somewhere but he couldn't for the life of him figure out where exactly. "She specified my academic achievements and my relationship with the rest of the school's population. I told her that the classes are satisfactory and I have not yet had much contact with those outside of the Slytherin Seventh Years."

"What did she think of that?" Draco inquired in the same lazy manner all his question had so far been asked in.

"She encouraged me to attempt to form relationships with others, I told her that to do so was unnecessary and would simply result in further distraction."

"Yes, that sounds like you." The blond said and Harry didn't need to look at him to know the Malfoy was now smiling or at least smirking. The mattress shifted then as Draco moved and the next time the dark haired teenager looked up from his book, he found his best friend now face to face with him. "You know, it's just occurred to me, but I haven't given you a decent kiss in days."

Harry thought on that for a moment and realised that it had, indeed, been a little over a week since he and Draco had shared an actual kiss. The Malfoy had pecked his lips or his cheek or his forehead plenty of times but there had been no lingering kisses, no laying or sitting with the intent of a prolonged kiss. It wasn't because they hadn't been spending time together. Although they weren't able to spend every second of every day together, they were still in each other's company at every available moment and more often than not. They just hadn't had the time for any intimacy and it suddenly occurred to Harry that he had actually missed it. He had missed the feel of Draco's lips on his, he had missed the gentle touches from the slender hands, he had missed the warmth of the intimacy. Now, with the anticipation of once again experiencing it, the stoic youth definitely felt a small flutter in his stomach.

Unintentionally making himself look demur, Harry peered up at Draco through his lashes. "Perhaps that is something you should fix before I start to feel neglected."

Draco's expression turned to one of surprise then before he grinned and leaned down slightly so his lips hovered a breath away from Harry's. "It's another date to remember: the sixth of October, 1997; Harry not only asks for a kiss, he does it teasingly." The blonde said happily before closing the gap and connecting their lips.

* * *

9th October 1997: Afternoon 

It was a cloudy Thursday afternoon in October when Harry was spoken to by the first stranger since he had met Professor Trelawney. It was during a free-period of his, one that he shared with none of the other Seventh Year Slytherins, and he was in the library doing some reading until it was time to go to the Quidditch field to watch Draco and the Slytherin team practice. He hadn't actually realised just how deeply involved in his reading he was until he was broken out of state of concentration by a voice speaking just beside him.

"Is this seat taken?"

Green eyes had shot upwards in an instant and came to rest on the form of a girl standing behind the chair next to Harry. Her tie was the colour of Gryffindor and the rest of her uniform was perfect, much like Harry's own, with the buttons of the robe done up all the way to the top. Her hair was a light-ish brown and slightly dishevelled though it was more to do with the fact her hair was rather frizzy than it actually being messy like Harry's always seemed to be (no matter how hard Draco tried to tame it). The smile on her face was small and a little shy and the girl was obviously nervous.

After he had finished studying her, Harry dropped his eyes back onto his book. "No." Was all he said, in answer to her question.

The girl said nothing more and he did not look at her again. Once the sound of her movement as she sat had ended, the silence of the library returned and remained undisrupted. Harry took up his reading again but never quite managed to return to the deep state of concentration he had previously been in, the fact that he could feel the girl's stare on him several times made sure of that. But not once did the stranger say anything or do anything other than sneak a peek at him every few seconds or so.

An hour of that, and nothing more than that, passed and then it was time for Harry to gather his book and his bag and make his way outside to watch the Slytherins practice. He felt the girl's stare suddenly return to him with his movement and she still said nothing as she watched him close his book before leaning to the side of grab his bag and then putting the book away inside. With that done, Harry stood from his seat and began to leave the library. He neither looked at or spoke to the girl again but he could feel her eyes on him even he walked away. It was only when he turned a corner and left the library behind him completely that he felt the stare leave him.

* * *

10th October 1997: Morning 

The next day, Harry had two free periods in a row straight after breakfast. The first free period he had on his own, the second he would be able to share with Draco. So, as usual, he had gone to the library to read. He had only just settled and was just in the process of pulling a book out of his bag when he felt a presence come to stand beside him and a familiar voice spoke.

"Is this seat taken?"

Harry glanced up and saw the same girl from the day before, the same slightly shy smile on her face. Once again, he turned his gaze away and spoke a soft, "no". The girl took that as an invitation to sit and so that was what she did. From then on, the hour of Harry's free period passed much the same as it had the day before. Neither Harry or the girl spoke to each other and although the dark haired saviour often felt the girl's gaze on him, it wasn't as frequent as it had been the previous day.

Harry idly pondered over the strangeness of the situation and how it made him feel. It occurred to him that despite the fact he didn't know this girl's name and that they had only ever spoken a few words to each other, her presence was...A comfort? No, that wasn't the right word, that implied that he had been lonely before and he knew that wasn't the case. It was hard for him to describe, he felt he didn't have the words for it. Her presence...She seemed to be providing a sense of companionship for Harry despite their lack of real communication. The mere presence of another human being was...Nice. Yes, he supposed that was as good a word as any to describe it.

The words in the book open on the table Harry sat at began to lose their importance as he thought on the situation more and more. Perhaps this girl could be a friend. Could males be friends with females? He wasn't sure. He tried to think to what he had seen around him in his first month at Hogwarts, whether he had seen boys and girls being friends with each other. Alas, all he could seem to recall was males and females only being together in an intimate manner, kissing in the hallways or walking together side by side, holding hands. He did not want that, not with anyone other than Draco anyway. But then, that was a point; the way boys and girls acted towards each other was how he and Draco acted towards each other. So, perhaps that meant that a relationship with a girl would also be different for him...

"Harry?"

The voice of Draco dragged Harry from his thoughts and he lifted his eyes to see the blonde standing just beside him. Idly, he noticed the girl he was sharing the table with was eagerly keeping her eyes fixed on her book and her quill moving across a sheet of parchment. At first, Harry wondered what his best friend was doing in the library until common sense told him that the first period of the day must have already have ended.

"Are you okay? You looked completely out of it." Draco continued not a moment later.

"I am fine." Harry assured simply as he closed his book and reached for his bag. "Shall we leave?"

"All right." The Malfoy agreed and stepped back to allow the dark haired youth to sort himself out. A minute later, the two Slytherins were making their way out of the library, leaving behind the table and the girl and when they were a sufficient distance away, the blonde spoke again. "Why were you sitting at a table with Granger?"

"Should I not have been?" Harry asked quietly, thinking over the new information in his head; so the girl's last name was Granger...

Draco gave a sigh at that and took Harry's hand in a familiar gesture, linking their fingers together intimately. "No, I suppose it doesn't really matter, I was just a bit surprised, that's all."

Harry gave no answer to that. Instead, he concentrated on the sensation of the girl's eyes staring into their backs.

* * *

16th October 1997: Afternoon 

The silent encounters continued for another week. Every free period Harry spent by himself was indirectly spent with the Granger girl, someone who he had begun to notice increasingly around the school: when in corridors; when in the Great Hall; even in lessons as she was in both his Potions and DADA classes. Each time, he would arrive and sit first and then not moments later would be approached by the girl. She would ask the same question, he would give the same one word answer, she would sit, they would do their own thing in silence and then Harry would be the first one to leave.

But apparently, it was all about to change.

"Is that our Potions assignment you're working on?"

The quiet question was asked quite out of the blue and if there had been anyone else around, Harry would've been sure it wasn't a question directed at him. However, he and Granger were the only ones in the immediate area and so he knew the question was, indeed, for him. His writing hand paused for a moment though he did not lift his head. Slowly, he began to write again and although he still didn't lift his head, he did answer the question: "No, this is an assignment for Divination."

"Oh, you take Divination?" The girl replied immediately and her tone was filled with too many emotions to even list. Harry could hear the relief in there, no doubt from the fact he hadn't ignored her; he could hear the surprise that he had actually answered; he could hear the excitement, no doubt born from the fact she was talking to the actual Harry Potter; and he could hear the distaste in there.

Harry felt a slight amusement bubble inside though it wasn't enough to prompt a smile. Instead, he continued writing and the conversation. "You are one who is sceptical of the art of Divination?"

"Um, uh, well..." The girl started to stammer, obviously afraid she had just insulted the stoic boy.

Harry took pity on the girl and cut off her rambling. "If so, I find myself inclined to agree with you. I merely chose the subject as it was the one I was least familiar with. I am beginning to wonder if I have wasted my time."

"Perhaps you should consider dropping the class and taking up something else then." She suggested. "For an every day student it probably wouldn't be the best idea but for someone like you..." She trailed off awkwardly, obviously unsure of how, exactly, to finish that sentence off.

Harry's eyes flickered onto her for a mere moment before they returned to his parchment just in time to watch his hand manipulate the quill it held into movement. "I made a commitment and I shall stick with it. Now, if you will excuse me," he murmured, finishing off what he was writing and carelessly dropping his quill into his open bag beside his feet. "I have a previous engagement I must attend." Which was not just an excuse he was giving to get away; Draco's Qudditch practice was due to start in a matter of minutes.

The dark haired savour quickly and efficiently packed away his things, not once looking at the Granger girl as he did. Heaving his bag onto his shoulder, he intended to leave without further word, if only because he, himself, didn't know what to say. He felt the girl's eyes on him the entire way out but when he reached the library's entrance, the girl once again decided to take the initiative and speak.

"My name's Hermione Granger." She practically yelled after him, standing from her seat abruptly as she did.

Harry paused in his step and turned to look at the girl again. "It was a pleasure to speak with you Miss Granger." He replied with an inclination of his head before he turned and began to walk away again.

As with the first time they had met, he felt her eyes on his back until he turned a corner and the wall broke the girl's stare.

* * *

23rd October 1997: Afternoon

Another week passed and Harry and Hermione continued to meet in the library but instead of sitting in silence, they now conversed about school work, never anything else, and they were always rather short conversations as well though at least two or three could occur every time. The focus switched between the two of them, sometimes focussing on Harry's progress, sometimes focussing on Hermione's. As seemed to have become the norm for Thursdays however, the meeting on that day was to mark yet another change, another progression in the steadily growing friendship of the Slytherin and the Gryffindor.

"I always thought Professor Snape was a rather good teacher. Not a particularly nice person but a rather good teacher. He knew what he was talking about and he explained things well." Hermione revealed as she gently fanned her length of parchment in front of her with her hand to dry the ink. Opposite her, Harry was also writing an essay and seemed to be concentrating on that more than he was on what Hermione was saying. "I have to admit, despite what I had heard other students say in the past, I was personally rather surprised to learn that he was a Death Eater, he never seemed to be in the least biased to students just because of their blood. After all, he only ever criticised me for answering all the questions all the time and for being a Gryffindor, he never once made a comment on my background."

That last bit seemed to grab Harry's attention and he lifted his gaze to look at her. "You are Muggle-born."

It was a statement, not a question though Hermione answered all the same. "Yes, that's right."

Harry said nothing for what seemed like the longest time before quietly, almost silently, he spoke again. "My mother...Was Muggle-born."

"Yes, I know, I read it in a book."

"What is life like in the Muggle world?" Harry asked, his voice still quiet which gave it a wistful quality.

"Not much different from the wizarding one to be completely honest. People may not have access to magic but there is electricity and science and the such to make things easier. Both world's have their positive parts and their negative parts and I personally think that they're each as good as the other, though I know plenty of people would disagree with me."

"Is that why you are always alone?"

Hermione immediately stopped talking then and a pink blush coloured her cheeks as she looked down at the edge of the table. "What do you mean?"

"Since we met, I have been noticing you and you are always alone, even at meal times." He paused then and tilted his head to the side in an attempt to catch a glimpse of her face but it was sufficiently curtained by her thick hair. "Do people disagree with you? Is that why you have no one close to you?"

"I..." She tried to say but stopped almost straight after, Harry watched curiously as the girl lifted her head and gave a forced little laugh, one which was supposed to disguise the sadness she now felt. "I don't think that's why I don't have any friends here. I've never been good at fitting in, even at my Primary school before I came here. I tend to focus more on my studies and such, I don't really have time for friends."

"That is a lie." His words sounded harsh, even to him, but they left him before he could properly think about it.

Hermione gave another light, forced chuckle. "Yes, I suppose it is, isn't it? You're very good at reading people, aren't you?" She lifted her head then and smiled. "I suppose I would like some friends, but it's our last year, I doubt it will happen now."

"I often say the same thing myself, but Sirius and Remus hold the opposite opinion." Harry revealed.

"They're your parents' friends right? The ones you live with." Hermione inquired with obvious interest.

"Yes, my godfather Sirius Black and his lover Remus Lupin."

"How is it?"

"Living with them is...Difficult." The dark haired teenager admitted. "Sirius chooses to ignore the obvious and so treats me as the carbon copy of my father he believes I should be. Remus does not seem to know how best to react to me and so he settles on tip-toeing around me, remaining kind but formally polite as though I would not and cannot understand anything different."

"That's terrible, Harry." Hermione sympathised.

"It is to be expected."

"Your friendship with Draco Malfoy seems to be strong and healthy though."

"Draco is..." Harry paused here, unsure of how, exactly, to express just what the blond Slytherin meant to him. "He is the only one who understands." Is what he settled on saying eventually.

"I'm sure it's a great comfort to you, to know you have at least one person who knows who you really are."

"It is." The dark haired boy paused once again and sent an almost shy look in Hermione's direction. "You are an extremely easy person to talk to Miss Granger."

"Oh please, no need to be so formal, feel free to call me Hermione." She invited him brightly.

Harry hesitated, he knew he did, but he couldn't help it. He was on first name basis with only three people, two of which only because they had looked about ready to burst into tears when he had addressed them by their last names one time. To call someone by their first name...It was a big deal, wasn't it? Draco didn't even call Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle by their first names and they were supposedly his best friends. But in spite of all that, Harry knew he wanted to call this girl by her first name, he wanted to treat her with familiarity, he wanted her as a friend. And so, he took a big step forward, another step towards "normality", as he spoke three simple words:

"Very well, Hermione."

* * *

27th October 1997: Midday

Harry and Hermione made their way to the Great Hall in a companionable silence, neither feeling the need to speak. They were on their way to lunch having just spent an extra free period together as Draco had to use his to work on a Arithmancy project he was doing with a group of other students in his class. The blond had invited Harry along to sit with them but both teenagers knew that the presence of the Wizarding world's saviour would distract and unsettle the other group members so when the dark haired youth declined, no real fight was put up. So, instead of Harry and Draco going off together as they usually did on a Monday morning, Harry and Hermione met up in their usual haunt; the library. They had chatted, they had read and then when they had got hungry, they began their journey to the Great Hall together.

"What lesson do you have after lunch?" Hermione asked quite abruptly as they entered the Great Hall.

"Divination."

"Ah yes, that's right, I remember now. Oh well," she sighed as they came to a stop. "I'll see you tomorrow in Potions I suppose."

"Indeed." Harry murmured before giving a small nod. "Good day, Hermione."

Hermione nodded back but also beamed a smile to him. "Have a nice day, Harry."

And without further word, the two turned from each other and made their way towards their respective tables. Upon reaching the Slytherin table, Harry found that, as seemed to be the norm, Millicent Bulstrode was the only Seventh Year present at that moment. Only, instead of happily eating her lunch regardless of her lack of company, she was now staring at Harry openly, her expression one between shock and horror. Harry planned on ignoring her but unfortunately, that was not in her plan. The moment he was sitting down, she was immediately upon him with questions.

"Why were you talking to Granger?"

"She asked me a question, I was answering her."

"Why did she ask you a question?"

"Because she wished to know which lesson I have after lunch."

"Why is that any of her business?"

"I assume it is because she wondered when we would have the opportunity to spend time with each other again."

"Spend time with each other again!" Millicent echoed in aghast disbelief.

"Is that not what friends do? Spend time together?" Harry murmured, his eyes staying on his task of pouring himself some tea.

"You're friends with her?" The Slytherin girl gasped.

"Yes."

"Does Draco know you're friends with Granger?" Millicent asked, clearly still struggling to get her mind around the situation.

"If he does, he did not learn from me." Harry answered, not looking up at her as he reached to take a cuccumber sandwich from the plate in the middle of the table.

"He's not going to be happy." She warned him.

Those words finally made the dark haired saviour put his full attention on her. He paused what he was doing and looked at her carefully. "Why do you say that?"

"Because she's a..." Whatever the end of that sentence was going to be was never revealed as Millicent closed her mouth and looked off to the side awkwardly.

When it became clear the girl wasn't going to say anything more, Harry felt the need to prompt her: "Because she is a...?"

"Well...Uh, because..." Millicent struggled for several moments before inspiration seemed to strike her. "Because she's a Gryffindor! You know how Draco is about Gryffindors, he's not going to like the fact you've made friends with one."

Harry studied the girl in front of him very carefully for several seconds. She was lying, that much was painfully obvious to him, and he was no idiot. There was little doubt in his mind about what she had been about to say. Mud-blood. Bulstrode thought Draco would have a problem with Harry being friends with Hermione because she was a Muggle-born. Was that a truth? Surely Draco was better than that, right? He wouldn't discriminate against someone simply because they were Muggle-born. Yes, okay, Harry knew all about the blonde's past and knew that, at one point, that was exactly what he had done but Draco had been a child then, a child who'd had Lucius Malfoy as a father and role-model. Draco was better now, he no longer believed such blind, bigoted prejudices...

...Right?

"I see you two have already started." The sneering voice of Pansy Parkinson broke into Harry's thoughts then and he lifted his gaze just enough to look at the rather unpleasant girl as she took her seat beside Millicent. "So what are we talking about?"

"Nothing." Harry answered her immediately, before Bulstrode could even think of saying anything. Both girls looked at him, slightly stunned that he had been the one to answer. He simply ignored them both, instead concentrating on his lunch.

Over the month and a half he had been at Hogwarts, Harry had come to the conclusion that whereas Bulstrode was rather harmless, Parkinson was a poisonous snake who hid in the undergrowth until some hapless, unsuspecting creature came along which she could sink her teeth into and shred its life. Unfortunately, the blonde girl's next target seemed to be Draco. It was clear to the dark haired youth that Parkinson held a certain affection for the Malfoy and any chance she had to poison Draco against Harry would be seized and held on to at all costs. The saviour could only imagine how the girl would be able to twist his friendship with Hermione into something which would drive a wedge between him and the Malfoy and that was something he wanted to avoid, not because he thought it would drive Draco away completely, more because it would be an annoying inconvenience he could do without.

"I see Draco isn't here yet." Parkinson drawled lazily and Harry felt her turn her eyes onto him. "Where is he?"

"No doubt he is still working on his Arithmancy project with the other members of his group." Harry revealed in his usual monotone before he brought his tea cup up to his lips to sip at the liquid inside.

"Aww, did Potty have to spend his free period all alone? Did he get all lonely?" The blonde girl sneered.

Harry completely ignored her. He would not react to taunts or jeers and it was none of her business what he did with his free periods. So, he remained silent and that silence lasted all the way up until the end of the lunch break as Draco had failed to arrive to have anything to eat. Idly, as he pulled his bag onto his shoulder and stood from his seat without a word to either of the girls in front of him, Harry wondered if the slight heaviness he now felt in his chest was something to be concerned about.

* * *

27th October 1997: Night

"You were awfully quiet during dinner."

Harry paused in his reading though he didn't look over to where he knew Draco was sitting on the edge of his bed. The dark haired youth said nothing; what could be said after all? Draco's statement had been completely accurate and there was no reason to either dispute it or confirm it as a fact. He had been quiet since his sort-of discussion with Bulstrode about the possibility of Draco reacting badly to his new friendship with Hermione Granger. Not that he was worried or anything of the sort, he simply wondered if, in the past, the Malfoy heir really would have minded, because there was no way the Draco Malfoy Harry knew could be that bigoted.

"I mean, I know you're always quiet but you were more so today than usual." Draco continued to speak as he shuffled further up the bed so he was closer to Harry. "Is there something on your mind?"

"No, nothing. Except..." Harry paused, wondering exactly how to phrase the confession. "I have...Made a friend." He settled on eventually, turning his gaze away from the book and onto his best friend.

"Really? Harry, that's great!" The blonde congratulated enthusiastically. "Is it anyone I know?"

"I am not sure."

"Well come on then, don't keep me in suspense, who is it?"

"Hermione Granger."

There was a short pause then, perhaps as the news registered in Draco's mind. However, after only a second, the blonde grinned slightly and gave a wise nod. "Ah, I see."

"You do not seem too surprised." Harry noted quietly.

"I'm not really, you've spent a lot of your free periods with her after all." Draco reasoned with a shrug as he moved to lay next to Harry on the bed.

"Millicent Bulstrode seemed to be of the opinion that you would take the news badly." The dark haired youth said, watching the other's movements very carefully and trying to read his expression.

"Oh yes, because Bulstrode is an expert on my opinions and such." Draco smirked before laying back lazily, resting against the head-board of the bed with the pillow cushioning him. "I don't mind in the least." He assured, bringing a hand forward to trace lazy circles on the top part of Harry's right arm.

Harry glanced at the blonde before slowly turning away again. The words Draco spoke, they were words of acceptance, they were nonchalant. Yet, the dark haired youth couldn't shake the feeling that something was off and his friend wasn't as fine about the situation as he claimed to be and he hoped dearly that it was simply his imagination.

* * *

End of Chapter 3.  
Hands up if you thought Draco took that a little too well :D Next chapter things start to get more complicated between our two favourite boys so that's something to look forward to if you thought this chapter was rather boring as well. If it's action people are waiting for, it does eventually come, there's just a lot of character development that needs to be got out of the way first. Oh, and if you're curious, I made a very rough plan and this should have about 16/17 chapters to it.  
That's all from me for another time. Take care everyone and since I won't be posting again until new year, I shall take the time to wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. I hope you all get what you want and eat until your bloated and can't move from the sofa and so have to watch The Great Escape for the billionth time because you can't reach the remote :D Having said that though, I'm not even sure they're showing The Great Escape on Christmas Day this year...I hope they are, I love that film :D

Christmas hugs  
Dream


	4. 28th Oct to 29th Oct 1997

Hi everyone :)

Although I'm kinda depressed that I only got 16 reviews for the last chapter, I think it's probably because a lot of people don't bother/can't come online during the holidays and so wouldn't have been able to read the chapter. So, on the whole, disppointed but understanding on the review number. Thank you to all of those who did review though, they made delightful Christmas treats :)  
I have nothing more to say for now so on with the chapter.

* * *

28th October 1997: Morning

When Harry had woken that morning to an empty dorm room, he would be a liar if he said that he hadn't been somewhat concerned. However, that concern was promptly forgotten when he found a note on his pillow from Draco. Apparently, because Harry hadn't been the first one to wake as he usually was, the blond had decided it would be nice to allow the young saviour a "lay in" and the note had assured him that if he wasn't at breakfast ten minutes before the end, then Draco could come and get him so he didn't over sleep. It was a thoughtful gesture and one that Harry actually appreciated as sleep never came easily to him.

So, at that moment, he was heading towards the Great Hall on his own, dressed in a perfect school uniform as always, carrying his bag containing his books on his right shoulder. He only had one free period that day, one which he didn't share with Draco so he would no doubt spend it with Hermione instead. The Malfoy's strangely calm acceptance of Harry's friendship with the Gryffindor girl still plagued the dark haired youth's mind and threw up the concern that perhaps his lay in was not an act of kindness from Draco but rather more to do with the fact he didn't want to be around him at the moment. Harry would promptly dismiss that thought from his mind whenever it made itself known, but he still couldn't deny that the idea was bothering him.

The first thing Harry saw when he entered the Great Hall was Hermione, over on the Gryffindor table and the centre of a lot of attention. Several people seemed to be speaking to her all at once and she appeared to be rather intimidated, perhaps because she was actually unused to such attention. Harry thought nothing of it and continued his way over to the Slytherin table easily though he slowed to a stop when the conversation between the Seventh Years started to reach his ears:

"...Sure he just felt sorry for her." Bulstrode was saying. "After all, he's hardly the type to approach anyone. No doubt Granger was the one to open a conversation and he didn't have the heart to turn her away."

"Maybe he was curious, he's never met a Mudblood before." Goyle grunted from beside where Draco was sitting.

"Merlin knows how he managed that, all the Mudbloods wandering around the world now. There're so many now I shouldn't think it'll be that much longer before Purebloods become a dying breed and then imagine what the world would be like! Our culture, our entire way of life will no doubt disappear in favour of pleasing all the Mudbloods who are too stubborn and pig-headed to accept our way of life. Their presence should be restricted, that's what I say. We should have some immigration system set in place before they dirty every single line of pure blood we have." Parkinson declared and it sickened Harry to realise that just because Voldemort was gone, it didn't mean that his influence was. As he got closer to the table, the blonde girl's eyes rested on him for just a second but it was enough for her to see him and Harry just knew that what she did next was a direct result of his presence. "Don't you agree, Draco?" She inquired pleasantly.

The Malfoy smirked. "Of course."

Harry felt his heart sink at those words, though nothing showed on his face, and he watched a triumphant sneer cross Parkinson's face. She redirected her gaze to him and continued to sneer. "Oh, good morning, Potter, finally managed to drag yourself out of bed?"

The dark haired youth said nothing and simply watched as Draco turned his head to look at him. The blond offered a bright, welcoming smile. "Oh good, you're here, you saved me the journey of coming to get you." He said pleasantly, as though there was absolutely nothing wrong and perhaps, in his mind, nothing was wrong. For Harry it was different however, for Harry something was very wrong and so he turned without a word and began to leave in the way he had come in. "Harry, wait, where are you going?" Draco asked as he began to stand from his seat, obviously confused by his best friend's manner.

"I do not wish to be in the company of Death Eaters." Harry replied in his usual monotone as he continued to walk away.

Draco called out for him to stop as he rather clumsily tried to climb over the bench he sat on but Harry ignored him and simply continued to make his way back out of the doors he had only just passed through. He actually made it a good distance away from the entrance of the Great Hall before the blond managed to catch him up. Still, the dark haired saviour ignored the other teenager right up until he couldn't anymore, when his wrist was taken and he was forced to come to a stop. Harry remained looking ahead of himself however.

"Look, Harry," Draco's voice came then, sounding a little breathless as if he'd had to hurry to catch up. "I don't know what you thought you heard..."

"I know what I heard." Harry interrupted him firmly. "I heard you and the other Seventh Year Slytherins enjoying yourselves as you made derogatory comments about wizards and witches who are born to Muggle families."

"Hey, I wasn't the one saying those things, it was Parkinson." The Malfoy pointed out with an annoyed frown and a somewhat wild gesture back in the general direction of the Great Hall's entrance.

"Yes, I know, I heard her speak and I heard you agree with her. Why did you not contradict her?" Harry questioned, turning to look at his friend, and although the tone remained unemotional, the words seemed almost accusing, though that may have just been the blond's guilty conscience at work. "The things she said were blatant falsehoods and insulting to Muggle-borns."

"Why should I care? I'm not the one who's made friends with Granger." Draco sneered.

"Does that make a difference? Do you only speak out against an injustice if it affects someone who is close to you? If that is the case, you are not the person I thought you were." And with that said, Harry turned and began to walk away from his fellow Slytherin.

"Where are you going?" Draco demanded angrily.

Harry paused and turned his head to the side in order to look over his shoulder to the blond behind him. "To the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom, I shall wait there for the lesson to begin." He replied in an empty monotone before he started forwards again.

Draco didn't follow and that was something Harry was glad for. He really didn't want to be around the blond at that moment, he just wanted to sit somewhere quiet and try and make sense of what he had just heard. Of everyone in his life, he truly thought he knew the young Malfoy better than anyone, perhaps even himself. Apparently that wasn't the case though and it disturbed the dark haired youth greatly. Had Draco really meant to agree with the things Parkinson had said? And if he hadn't, why had he spoken those words of agreement?

Upon reaching the DADA classroom, Harry found the door was locked but he easily unlocked it with a wave of his wand; he knew Sirius wouldn't mind. He closed the door behind himself softly before sitting at his usual desk over at the side of the room. After settling quickly, he took up a firm stare at the front of the classroom, his elbows resting on the edge of his desk and his hands carded in front of his mouth. His mind whirled with thought as he attempted to figure out what had made Draco say what he had while at the same time trying to stop himself from thinking the worst, something which would have been only too easy to do.

Draco wasn't a Death Eater. Well, okay, technically he had been a Death Eater with a Dark Mark and everything, but he wasn't a Death Eater in character. It hadn't been the blond's choice to receive the Mark and he had immediately started to help in the effort against Voldemort. But then why had he agreed with the awful things Parkinson had said? The smirk which had been on his face implied that he had been aware of what he had been agreeing to rather than just saying anything to keep the blonde girl off of his back. But surely no, Draco wasn't, couldn't be like that...Right?

The sound of the door opening reached Harry's ears then and pulled him from his thoughts. He didn't bother to glance over his shoulder to see who it was. If they wanted to speak to him, then they could initiate the conversation.

"Harry?"

"Good morning, Hermione." Harry murmured, recognising his friend's voice, still not moving his gaze from the front of the class.

"Is everything all right?" She asked him, sounding rather anxious.

"Yes."

"Oh...It's just, I saw you and Malfoy..."

"Everything is all right." Harry reassured her firmly, cutting her words off. There was a moment's silence then before the dark haired saviour spoke again, rather abruptly: "Sit down."

"Pardon?" Hermione asked, evidently confused.

"I am inviting you to sit beside me for the lesson." The dark haired youth explained, his eyes fixed to the front of the class until the end of the sentence at which point his gaze flickered onto the girl. "Unless you already have somewhere else of significance to sit."

Hermione said nothing to that at first and instead slowly sat herself down in the offered seat. Her eyes were fixed on Harry the whole time though and once she was settled, she finally spoke the question which was on her mind: "What about Malfoy?"

Harry stared down at the edge of the desk they sat at, his eyes almost sad in their emptiness. "I think it would be best if Draco and I spent some time apart."

"Oh, Harry, I'm so sorry, I never meant..."

"You have done nothing." Harry interrupted the girl's apology and effectively silenced her completely.

And so, side by side, the Gryffindor and the Slytherin sat in quiet and waited for the lesson to start. They remained alone for some time before other students began to arrive. Even without looking, Harry knew when Draco had entered, he felt the eyes on the back of his head. Hermione shifted beside him but said nothing and, eventually, the stare left them.

The Gryffindor and the Slytherin spent the entire lesson in silence.

* * *

28th October 1997: Midday

Lunch was not something Harry was looking forward to. His free period had been blissfully peaceful (though spent alone as Hermione'd had an extra session with the Transfiguration professor on the subject of a possibility of her being an animagus) and now he was somewhat reluctant to have that peace disturbed by the Slytherins and Draco. Breakfast of that morning and the DADA and Potions lessons which had followed would not be forgotten or left alone by the Malfoy if no one else and Harry really wasn't in the mood for the lengthy discussion/confrontation it would no doubt take to set things right. However, he couldn't deny the slight hunger he felt and he knew that food was necessary.

However, as Fate would have it, Harry never actually made it inside the Great Hall before his path was blocked by a group of three Gryffindor boys. Each one of them was much taller and generally larger than Harry who had not and probably would never lose the petite frame sixteen years of sleep and inactivity had given him. Two of them he recognised from the Gryffindor Quidditch team, a blond and a ginger, the ginger one having the last name of Weasley if Harry remembered correctly, but the third was a mystery to him, not that he cared that much. None of them were looking at him in a particularly friendly manner and he felt he could probably guess what it was they wanted from him.

"Yes?" He said by way of starting the conversation.

"We want you to leave our House mate alone." The blond boy with the thick Irish accent told him.

"Yeah, Hermione doesn't want anything to do with you." The ginger haired one tacked on the end.

Harry was unimpressed. "She has told you this?"

"She doesn't have to, what would she want with a Slytherin like you?" The ginger haired one spoke again.

"Do you forget who I am?" Harry asked neutrally, his tone in no way challenging.

"Just because you killed You-Know-Who doesn't mean you can be trusted, otherwise why would you have been put into Slytherin?" The blond sneered.

"There's gotta be something dodgy about you or else you would've been made a Gryffindor. The fact you were put in Slytherin makes us wonder why you even fought for the Light in the war, your kind are hardly known for having good qualities after all and everyone knows there hasn't been a Dark Lord who hasn't originally come from Slytherin." The ginger once again spoke.

"Strange then, how it was four Slytherins who saved our way of life. Also, I would advise you to not over-estimate the purity of the light side of the war against Voldemort. Their hands are not as clean as you may wish." Harry told the larger, ginger haired teenager, clearly not the least bit intimidated.

The Weasley scowled at that. "If that's true it's only because you're the one who spoiled it all. I'm surprised you even killed You-Know-Who, I would've put money on you joining him."

Harry was unimpressed with the come-back and he made that clear as he turned and began to walk away. "Think what you like," he told them, not bothering to look over his shoulder and continuing onwards. "It makes little difference to me whether or not you discard your delusions."

The dark haired saviour half expected for the confrontation to continue, for the group of Gryffindors to pursue him, but when the scolding voice of Hermione reached Harry's ears, he knew the other boys would bother him no longer. As his friend continued to chastise her House mates, Harry continued on his way and he didn't pause even when hurried footsteps approached him from behind and his name was called by the girl.

"Harry, wait!" Hermione asked as she finally caught up with Harry and fell into step beside him. "Did those boys say anything bad to you?"

"Nothing that bothered me." Harry answered in his monotonous voice.

"Ugh, they're such idiots." The girl groaned in frustration. "If you ask me, they're just as bad as some of the Slytherins."

"I felt they confronted me because they wished to protect you more than anything else."

Hermione blushed brightly at that and stammered over her words for a few moments. "I-I, I shouldn't think so, not those lot." She insisted though her blatant embarrassment contradicted her words. "Anyway," her tone straightened out and became more confident once again. "Aren't you going to get any lunch?"

Ahh, and there was the question Harry had been anticipating since the very second his friend had joined him. What could he say? Not the truth, the truth could and would be argued with after all. Blaming it on the Gryffindors would not only make him look cowardly but it could also harm Hermione's view of her House mates, something Harry didn't wish to be the root of. So, it looked like it was going to be the most simple excuse in the entire world:

"I am not hungry."

"Harry, how can that be? You haven't eaten anything all day." Hermione pointed out and, not having an answer, Harry did the only thing which made sense at that moment; he ignored her. "Harry, where are you going?" The girl demanded as the dark haired youth continued to walk on as she fell back and paused.

"I have Divination this afternoon." Was his simple reply to that.

Nothing more was said to him after that and he was allowed to make the rest of his journey in the peace of solitude.

* * *

28th October 1997: Afternoon

Harry had never really had a bad day before. He hadn't had a good day either. He just had days; days in which he existed and things happened. If ever he was to have a bad day, however, that day would definitely be the best candidate for such a title. On top of all the stress over the situation with Draco, now Harry was having to suffer an infuriating Divination lesson which consisted solely on trying to see an image of the future through the mist which clouded the centre of a crystal ball. It was boring, it was a waste of time and if the dark haired youth only said something was unnecessary one more time in his life, he would say it about that exercise.

Trelawney couldn't bring the lesson to an end soon enough for Harry's taste so when the end did finally come, it almost brought a smile to the stoic Slytherin's face. Almost, but not quite. The usual emotionless expression remained on the saviour's face as he leaned over to pull his bag from the floor. As he straightened up and settled the bag on his lap, he suddenly became aware of someone standing just in front of his desk. He paused what he was doing and glanced to see one of his classmates, a male Gryffindor, was the one standing in front of him.

"Erm, hi." The boy greeted him fairly nervously. "You're Harry Potter, right?"

Harry said nothing and simply dropped his gaze to his bag.

"I'm, um," the Gryffindor paused to clear his throat nervously. "I'm Neville Longbottom, I, um, I know your friend, Hermione Granger."

"Are you going to warn me to stay away from her as well?" Harry asked in his usual monotone as he started to pack away his stationary again.

"Oh, no, not at all. Actually, I just, well, I just wanted to introduce myself really. I never saw you talking to anyone other than the Slytherins before and I didn't want to bother you, but now I know you're friends with Hermione...Well, I just thought...I just wanted to get to know you better I suppose." The Longbottom stumbled over his words awkwardly, seemingly not quite able to control everything that was coming out of his mouth.

Inside, Harry found himself feeling rather surprised though he wasn't sure why. Accepting the advances of one person was obviously going to encourage others to try the same and the fact he was the Wizarding world's saviour meant everyone probably wanted to know him. But still, the surprise was there and it left Harry quite unsure of how to approach the situation. What was he supposed to say? He couldn't introduce himself, this Neville Longbottom person already knew who he was. To give a short "nice to meet you now I have to go" would be incredibly rude and it would obviously knock the confidence of this already rather timid young man. He didn't exactly want to encourage this person though...

As it happened, Fate once again decided to intervene and lend him a hand, unfortunately in a rather dramatic manner however. As Harry stood, intending to start to make his way out of the classroom, his world suddenly started to spin in a most alarming and unfamiliar way. He wobbled dangerously and would have over-balanced if not for the fact he managed to brace himself against the side of his table. As his vision swam and his ears begin to ring, Harry was vaguely aware of speaking and then footsteps before a hand rested on his shoulder and words somehow managed to force their way through the thick fog which surrounded him.

"Harry, is everything all right?" Professor Trelawney's concerned voice seemed to almost echo in the teenager's mind.

"I feel very faint..." Was all Harry managed to whisper out before the world started to fade out at a much more rapid rate.

He was unconscious before he even hit the ground.

* * *

28th October 1997: Late Afternoon

Murmured voices was the sound which greeted Harry upon his wakening. He realised the bed he was laying on did not possess the familiar softness of the bed he was used to sleeping on and it took him a moment or two to recall what had previously happened to him. Eventually, his clearing mind remembered the details and, if he had been the sort, he would've groaned and felt extremely embarrassed. As it was, he was himself and so simply thought it a minor inconvenience.

The dark haired youth had to stir only the tiniest fraction before footsteps were making their way over to him. "You can sit up," a prim female voice said to him then. "But you're not to do anything else until I say you can."

Blinking open his eyes, Harry's eyesight may have been fuzzy without his glasses but he could see enough and piece together the conclusion that he was in the Infirmary and the one who had just spoken to him was Madam Pomfrey. He had yet to be properly introduced to the woman but he recognised her nonetheless. Her presence was no mystery considering he was in the area of the school she controlled, but the presence of the other two people, standing either side of her, did pose a question. Hermione stood to the woman's right while the dark haired youth, Neville Longbottom, stood on the foreboding woman's left.

"Now, how do you feel? Dizzy at all? Light-headed?" Madam Pomfrey inquired as she reached forward and rested her palm on Harry's forehead, taking his temperature.

"I feel fine." Was the dark haired youth's softly spoken answer.

"Have you felt ill at all today? Any headaches? Anything at all which isn't normal?" The woman continued to quiz, a light frown developing on her features.

"I have felt nothing."

"What did you eat for breakfast an lunch?"

"Nothing."

Madam Pomfrey paused. "Nothing at all?"

"I believe that is what the word nothing means."

"Don't sass me young man." The medi-witch scolded him. "Now why haven't you eaten?"

"The opportunity has not presented itself today."

"You mean a break from lessons for lunch time and a Great Hall full of food isn't enough of an invitation for you to eat?"

"I do not have to explain myself to you." Harry said in a simple monotone.

Both Hermione and Neville seemed to shrink back at his words and it was no surprise as not a moment later and Madam Pomfrey had gone off into a rant. "Yes, young man, you do have to explain yourself to me because I'm the one who has to look after you when you faint because you haven't eaten enough! I don't much care who you are and what world you have saved, when you attend Hogwarts, you eat. Now, I'm going to get you your dinner. You may talk with your friends while I'm gone but when I come back, they will leave and you will eat. Understand?"

Harry gave no response to that but the medi-witch didn't seem too bothered with the silence. Instead, she accepted it and turned to leave, her shoes clicking on the ground harshly as she did. Eventually, those harsh clicks faded away and the three teenagers were left behind in silence. The dark haired saviour simply stared ahead of himself without emotion as Hermione watched him carefully and Neville looked anywhere by the Slytherin's immediate area.

When it became clear neither of the Gryffindors were going to speak, Harry decided to ask the question he wanted answering: "Why are you both here?"

"Neville told me what happened in Divination and I was worried, I wanted to come and check on you as did Neville." Hermione answered him quietly.

"Thank you." Harry murmured, not really meaning it but knowing it was the sort of thing a person in his situation was to say.

Hermione took that as some sort of cue to make herself comfortable and she sat down on the edge of Harry's bed, at the very end so she didn't accidently invade his personal space. "Harry, why haven't you eaten today?"

For a very brief second, green eyes flickered onto the frizzy haired girl before they moved to stare ahead vacantly again. "As I told Madam Pomfrey, the opportunity did not present itself today," he paused and looked back to the girl. "Your House mates made sure of that."

"I knew you had to have been hungry." Hermione huffed before glaring off to the side. "Those ignorant barbarians. I'm very tempted to let them have a piece of my mind..."

The girl continued to rant then and while she did, Harry turned his gaze onto Neville Longbottom. The slightly gangly Gryffindor still appeared to be immensely uncomfortable in the situation but seemed to be in no great hurry to leave. It confused Harry who was already confused as to why the boy was present in the first place.

"I understand why you were concerned for me," the dark haired youth spoke then, interrupting Hermione's rant. He turned to look at Neville completely. "But why are you here?"

The question seemed to catch the young man unaware and he nervously stumbled over his words for a moment or two before finally getting some sense out: "Well, I guess because I like you. I mean, I know I don't know you that well and we've only talked once but what I do know I like and...Well, I'd, uh, I'd like it if we could be friends."

Yes, well, that was no great surprise to Harry. He knew the Longbottom had to have some interest in a friendship in order to strike up a conversation in the first place. And, despite the kindness the young man had already shown him, Harry couldn't deny he was still slightly reluctant to encourage the boy's ambitions let alone actually accept the offer of friendship. His friendship with Hermione had been a complete accident after all and he was already beginning to wonder if it was more trouble than it was worth. He really couldn't see how he needed another friend...

A strange sort of luck once again being on the Slytherin's side, Harry was spared having to give an answer by the re-entry of Madam Pomfrey. She came bustling in quite briskly and immediately set about getting the two Gryffindors to leave. They left without complaint, a small goodbye from Neville while Hermione gave a more confident one and an assurance that she's see him tomorrow at breakfast. And then it was just Harry and the imposing woman who was the school nurse. Not that the Slytherin found her imposing but he could see why the majority of the student population did.

"Now," the medi-witch began firmly as she set the tray of food she was carrying on Harry's lap. "Only after you've eaten everything on that plate and drunk every last drop from that cup will you be allowed to leave this room Potter, and I will sit here and watch you to make sure that none of it magically disappears."

Harry's gaze moved from the woman on the plate of food. A very light sigh, so light it barely existed, passed the dark haired saviour's lips before he dutifully picked up the knife and fork and begun on the meal which had been made for him.

* * *

28th October 1997: Evening

Finally, Harry was free of the Infirmary and back in Slytherin territory. His meal had been eaten, Sirius and Remus had arrived to check on him and lecture him on the importance of a healthy diet, Madam Pomfrey had also lectured him on the importance of eating and then, finally, he had been allowed to leave. He was currently passing through the common room, ignoring everyone who was staring at him and allowing their whispers to pass him by without notice. The presence of Bulstrode and Parkinson together in a corner didn't pass him by and it reminded Harry that Bulstrode had also failed to speak out against the blonde girl's disgusting views and suggestions. He glanced at the two girls and while he got a sneer from Parkinson, Bulstrode offered him a weak smile. Both were ignored completely and Harry continued his journey to his dorm room without any delay.

It was with slightly downcast eyes that Harry entered the dorm room and so it was only when he heard the voice of Draco that he realised the blond was already in the room: "Been spending time with your new friend?" The Malfoy sneered and Harry turned to see his friend sitting on his bed, his back resting against the head board, an open book resting on his lap.

The question struck Harry as an odd one but he answered it truthfully nonetheless. "I have been in the Infirmary."

A confused frown creased the aristocrat's eyebrows at that. "The Infirmary? Why?"

"I fainted this afternoon in Divination."

"What!" The blond cried, immediately up from his bed and hurrying over to his friend. "Why did you faint? What happened exactly? Are you okay now?"

"Madam Pomfrey is of the opinion that it was due to a lack of sustenance." Harry answered easily as he moved past the blond and headed over to his own bed to set his school bag down. It was curious; with the way news and gossip travelled in the corridors of Hogwarts, surely his fainting spell was common knowledge and if people knew they would no doubt talk about it, so then Draco must have heard it.

Draco watched him and gave a light chuckle. "I can't leave you alone for a minute, can I?" He asked, adoration clear in his voice.

"Perhaps if you did not hold the beliefs of Death Eaters you would not have had to." Harry said without emotion.

A scowl crossed the blond's face. "I don't."

"Then why did you agree with the things that Parkinson said?"

"I don't...I don't know." Draco admitted, sounding defeated, as he moved back over to his bed and sat down in a slump.

Harry watched his best friend carefully for several moments, trying to discern the truth behind that claim and, eventually, came to his conclusion. "I believe you," he assured and Draco immediately looked over to him, hope clear in his expression. "But there is something, is there not?" Harry challenged gently and the hope on the Malfoy's face promptly faded as he looked to the side, averting his gaze from the green eyes staring at him. "What is it that is wrong, Draco? What made you agree with such a terrible statement?"

"I...I can't...I don't...I..." Draco struggled, still stubbornly looking no where near Harry.

The dark haired boy slowly, calmly, walked over to where the blond was sitting and gracefully sank onto his knees in front of him. He leaned up slightly, placing a hand on one of the Malfoy's knees and looked at him with a soft expression on his face. "Draco?" Harry said very softly by way of prompting him.

The blond finally looked to Harry when he heard his name and their gazes met and stayed together. "I wasn't agreeing on all Muggle-borns being treated the way Parkinson suggested, I just meant Granger." The Malfoy paused then and once again looked away. "I don't want to lose you, Harry." He mumbled self-consciously.

"I do not understand, how can you lose me?"

"You walked away at breakfast, you acted so cold to me, you didn't sit next to me during our Defense Against the Dark Arts lesson or our Potions lesson, and why? Because of Granger! She's your first friend other than me and she's already taking my place just like I knew she would when you told me about her last night. How can I not believe I'm going to lose you to her?" He asked quietly, turning back to look to the dark haired boy kneeling at his feet towards the end of his sentence.

Harry looked up at his best friend's face carefully and watched for quite a while as he tried to think of what to say to make the Malfoy feel better. He had to reassure him, he knew that much, but how? What could he say to make his friend feel better? Perhaps just the truth, but surely Draco knew the truth? Apparently not though or the blond wouldn't be feeling the way he was now. It, admittedly, confused Harry. He had never made a secret of just what Draco meant to him. Though neither had he spoken it out loud either. Perhaps that was what the Malfoy needed, maybe he needed to be told exactly how Harry viewed him and what he was to Harry.

So, feeling a slight flutter of apprehension in his chest, Harry took in a deep breath and made sure to keep eye contact as he began to articulate what he felt to the best of his limited ability. "No one could ever take your place, Draco. I do not know whether the way I feel about you has a name, but I do know the thoughts of never speaking to you or seeing you again makes my stomach sink and my chest feel tight. I do not wish to even imagine my life without you, and that is the reason you will never lose me. To leave you behind would be to leave my purpose, the reason for my existence, behind. You make me necessary, Draco, and for that you mean the world to me." He paused then, perhaps to give Draco the time to absorb the new information. Their gazes never left each other, emerald green mixing with pewter grey. "So please," Harry said quietly. "Can we go back to the way things were before today?"

No sooner had those words left Harry than Draco had pushed himself off of the bed, onto his knees on the floor, and had wrapped his arms around the dark haired youth in a tight embrace. "Nothing would make me happier." The blond whispered. "I love you so much."

Harry said nothing to those words but returned the embrace, bringing his own arms up cling to Draco's clothes. He rested his head against his best friend's shoulder comfortably and felt a kiss being pressed to his temple a few moments later. As far as he was concerned, all was right with the world again.

* * *

29th October 1997: Morning

They were late, they both knew they were, but neither of them cared. That day, they wished to make a statement and their late arrival simply assured that everyone would be there to see them. Perhaps the entire school knew about the trouble of the previous day, perhaps they didn't, that wasn't what mattered. They all had their preconceived opinions and those were what needed to be changed. Those were what were going to change, at least they were if two Seventh Year Slytherins had anything to do with it.

It was with a brisk stride that Harry and Draco entered the Great Hall, side by side but not holding hands. They headed over to the Slytherin table but instead of taking their seats, they paused at the end, beside the Seventh Years. Their class mates turned to look at them and, in the case of a certain blonde haired girl turned a glare on them. "Decided to lower yourself to eating with us again, Potter?" Parkinson sneered nastily.

"Actually, Parkinson, we're just here to grab an apple or two." Draco corrected the girl, leaning over to a bowl of fruit to do exactly as he said. "We've decided we'd both prefer not to associate with your kind from now on."

"My kind?" The blonde girl seethed angrily.

"Death Eaters." Harry told her bluntly. "You may have no faded Dark Mark on your arm but your attitude and beliefs are more than enough to convince us of where your loyalties once and still do lie."

No one, in the entire Great Hall, was speaking anymore, everyone was too focussed on the two most famous young men of the Wizarding world. Harry and Draco turned without further word then, leaving behind an indignant and highly insulting Pansy Parkinson and a rather shell-shocked table of Slytherins, but instead of heading to the open doors of the hall, they started over to the Gryffindor table. Hundreds of eyes watched their progress with great interest and the silence continued until the couple reached the side of Hermione Granger and Draco's voice broke through, loud and clear to all.

"Granger," he said, his tone neutral and conveying neither malice or friendship. "I just wanted to thank you for being Harry's friend." And with that, the Malfoy offered his hand to the girl.

Hermione seemed to be more than a little surprised with the sudden offer of acceptance from the aristocrat and shot Harry a glance, a glance which he didn't react to even noticed it. Then, her eyes flickering back to Draco, she carefully accepted his hand in a light shake. "It's a pleasure." She assured him in a steady voice.

The shake was brief and to the point and only a moment later, their hands had dropped. However, the Slytherins didn't just turn and leave but instead stayed where they were as Draco proceeded to surprise everyone even more. "Harry and I were just going to head to Potions, care to join us?"

Whatever shock had originally surprised Hermione seemed to have faded completely by that moment then as instead of acting even more surprised, she simply smiled and gave a small nod. "I'd like that."

And so, it was under the gaze of the entire school that the Gryffindor stood from the table and climbed over the bench. Then, the saviour of the Wizarding world, the only Malfoy heir and the smartest girl in the school left the Great Hall together. The stares were ignored and the whispers which suddenly started when their backs were turned hardly reached their ears. Coming together naturally, Draco took Harry's hand in his, lacing their fingers while on the dark haired boy's other side, Hermione walked close by, so close that their arms occasionally brushed together. As far as they were concerned, at that moment, the world consisted of them and only them and that was what they were content with.

* * *

End of Chapter 4.  
Ugh, I can't make fights linger to save my life -.- And before people start to think that Draco's actions in the last scene were terribly out of character, he's by no way friends with Hermione, he's simply tolerating her presence for Harry's sake.  
Okay, now, to finish off this chapter, I have a request for you all. I regret to inform you all that this could very well be my last Harry Potter story because I'm simply out of ideas. Over two years in the fandom and my ideas have dried up. I don't particularly want to go, but if I have no ideas, what can I do? That is why I've decided, in a last ditch attempt to squeeze at least one more Harry Potter story out of myself, I have decided to ask all of you, my lovely readers, if there's anything you'd like to see me write. Have a plot bunny you can't be bothered to write? Tell me and I might write it for you. Got a particular type of story you'd like to see me write? Let me know. Seriously, any ideas you have, just let me know in a review or a PM. Be as detailed or as vague as you like but all I'll say is, the more detailed your idea, the more likely it will spark something in my imagination and therefore the more likely it will be that it'll become a full blown fic. So that's my request, for you all to give me your ideas or else this will be my last Harry Potter fic.  
I'm talked for far too long for one chapter. Catch ya next time, lovelies.

Hugs  
Dream


	5. 31st Oct to 14th Nov 1997

Hi everyone :)

Yay, my reviews are back to normal! Lots and hugs and thank yous to everyone who reviewed the last chapter. Oh, and also a big thank you to those who have supplied ideas to me. I have more to say on that subject but I'll leave that for the bottom :D  
Enough from me, on with the show :)

* * *

31st October 1997: Late Afternoon 

"Your first Hallowe'en." Draco declared suddenly, a smile on his face and sounding almost like a proud parent. "And we get to spend it together."

Harry glanced up from the book he was reading on his bed for the briefest of moments before returning to it. Inside, he thought that Draco was just a little too obsessive in the whole making note of every single one of Harry's firsts but it obviously brought the blond some sort of joy to the dark haired youth said nothing about it. Perhaps it was because it was so hard to annoy the saviour, just as it was hard to get him to feel anything to an intense degree.

Draco came around to Harry's bed then, climbing onto it and then looping his arms around the stoic young man's shoulders loosely, resting part of his weight on the slight back. "Makes me want to dress us up in matching costumes." He admitted, a grin clear in his voice.

"Is that not an American practice?" Harry murmured, his eyes not straying from his book.

"Not exclusively." The blond murmured in reply as he brought a hand up to run through the strands of dark hair. "And you'd make a glorious princess to my prince."

"I am a boy."

The Malfoy chuckled and pressed a moist kiss to the soft skin just underneath the other youth's ear causing Harry to shiver slightly. "I know you are, love, but I don't think the teachers would be very accepting of a prince and his catamite."

Harry paused completely then and simply stared ahead of himself for a few moments in silence before eventually replying: "I cannot be a catamite when I am still a virgin."

More chuckles escaped Draco then and he buried his face against the back of the dark haired youth's neck in order to smother his laughs. "You obviously don't get the concept of dressing up and role-playing." He snickered and Harry simply ignored him as he was totally lost with the conversation anyway. Slowly, the Malfoy on his back calmed himself and an easy silence fell over the two. That is, until, Draco once again felt the need to speak: "Harry?"

"Yes?"

"What do you know about sex? And don't just give me a dictionary definition, I want to know what you really know about it."

Harry set his book down on his knee, knowing that this wasn't going to be a conversation which would be over with in a short amount of time. "I, admittedly, know very little about it. Of all the things I dreamed of when I was asleep, sexual relations were not among them."

"Do you know the mechanics of it? Like, do you know how a man and a woman have sex together?" Draco inquired, to which Harry gave a small nod. "What about when two men have sex? Do you know how that's done?"

"I have a vague idea." Harry paused his speech for a moment then and looked at the blond very carefully before he spoke again. "May I ask you a question?"

"Of course."

"Will we, one day, have sex?"

A grin crossed Draco's face then, a grin full of anticipation and amusement. "I think, Harry," he said in a leering sort of manner. "That us having sex some day is one of the only things in life which is a certainty."

* * *

2nd November 1997: Midday 

That day, at that point, had been fair for Harry. Morning lessons had gone well and he had the rest of the day to himself, though would no doubt be kept company by Draco who also had a free afternoon. There was only one thing which was keeping it from being a great day really; people. Because it was now a well known fact that Harry Potter was friends with Gryffindor's Hermione Granger and had spoken to Neville Longbottom, people seemed to think his friendship was up for grabs with anyone. He'd had random people, people he didn't even recognise, greet him enthusiastically by his first name as though they had been life-long friends. It was strange and rather bothersome as well and he had gone from giving a polite nod at the greetings to just totally ignoring them. No one seemed to get the idea though and continued to act all chummy with him.

None of it did well for improving the young saviour's general opinion of people. If anything, it confirmed to him that most were shallow, fake and would do anything to get even the slightest touch of fame. There were of course exceptions (Draco and Hermione for example), but he was rather convinced that the majority of the population were that way.

"Harry Potter?"

At the sound of his name from an unfamiliar female voice, Harry paused his thoughts and turned to look over his shoulder. Just behind him, he saw three girls, one from Ravenclaw and the other two from Gryffindor. They all had massive grins on their faces and appeared to be unnervingly eager about something. Harry looked them all over but said nothing, not that saying anything was necessary as he was about to find out.

"We just wanted to introduce ourselves." One of the Gryffindor girls, who looked exactly like the Ravenclaw girl implying that they were twins, told him enthusiastically. "I'm Pavati."

"And I'm her twin sister Padma." The Ravenclaw said straight after.

"And I'm Lavender." The second Gryffindor beamed. "If you have any questions about life at Hogwarts, don't hesitate to ask us."

Harry looked them all over once again before turning. "I will bear that in mind." Was all he murmured as he began to walk away, despite the fact he would have much rather pointed out to them that such an offer would've been more useful back in September. The words he did speak however, seemed to be enough for the three girls who all gave rather girlish squeals of delight much to the young saviour's confusion.

"What did they want?" The voice of Draco suddenly spoke and Harry glanced to the side where his best friend had suddenly appeared and was leaning against the side of an alcove.

"To introduce themselves." Harry replied as the blond fell into step with him. "And to offer their knowledge of Hogwarts."

"And they squealed because...?"

"I said I would keep it in mind. I do not understand it."

"They fancy you, that's all." The Malfoy stated dismissively.

"They do not know me." The dark haired youth pointed out.

"They know you're Harry Potter and they can see your face; that'll be enough to attract the attention of ninety percent of the British Wizarding population."

"But to hold such feelings is pointless for them, they will come to nothing."

"And they're all no doubt aware of that but people have their dreams and it won't stop them from idolising you. Those girls are just using the fact you're in school to their advantage." Draco explained. "They most likely don't expect to get anywhere with you but they obviously have fun in trying." Here, he paused and scowled. "Just as long as they don't try too hard."

Harry frowned a little as well, though it was more one of confusion than annoyance. "Have you ever had this...Fancy, for me?"

Draco held back a snigger at the not completely correct use of the term and managed to keep his voice steady when he gave his answer. "Of course I did otherwise I'd never have initiated that first kiss. Naturally, I still fancy you now, even more so than before considering I know you better."

"So this fancy for a person increases the more you get to know them?"

"It can, but other times getting to know someone can make the feelings go away. People often say you should never meet your idols because you build up such a great picture of them in your head that they don't or never could live up to. The same can be said of someone you fancy; get to know them and you may realise that they're not the sort of person you thought they were."

"Do you think people's fancy of me will fade if they got to know me?"

"It's possible, I doubt many people understand just how different you are from the newspapers alone. That's only a good thing as far as I'm concerned though," Draco said as he took Harry's hand in his and brought it to his lips to kiss the knuckles. "It just means I don't have worry about anyone stealing you away from me."

"No one could ever do such a thing." Harry murmured quietly but sincerely.

"And you don't know how happy that makes me." The blond replied with a most beautiful smile.

* * *

7th November 1997: Midday 

The mid-point of another fair day. Harry wondered to himself idly if it was a bad thing that he was starting to wish for something to do, other than the repetitive cycle his life had become. Although he didn't quite miss the summer of action and danger and Dark Lord killing, he was finding himself growing increasingly bored. He had considered confiding in Draco but he wasn't sure if he'd be able to explain exactly what it was he was feeling. Until he had figured it out himself, it would no doubt be best to keep his thoughts to himself.

"Afternoon, Harry." Hermione's voice suddenly came from behind the stoic youth.

Harry didn't stop but he turn to look over his shoulder as he spoke his reply to his friend's greeting. "Good afternoon, Hermione."

"Have a good Divination class?"

"It simply helped to confirm what I had already concluded; divination is not something which can be mastered or induced, it is simply something that happens for reasons currently unknown to mankind."

"You actually think it happens at all?"

"Perhaps, perhaps not; there are convincing arguments for both possibilities. Not everything can be explained away with books and logic."

Hermione seemed a little put out by that comment but said nothing on it, simply giving a light frown before changing the subject. "There's actually something more significant that I was hoping to ask you."

"Oh?" Was all Harry said to that.

"Yes, well, you see, there's a book which has just been released that I want to buy and I tried to owl Flourish&Blotts to order a copy but they wrote back that all of them have been reserved and they won't have any more in stock for several weeks. So, I was planning on going to Hogsmeade tomorrow to see if they have any copies in the book shop there and I was wondering if you'd like to come with me? Draco's welcome to come too if he wants."

Harry thought on the offer for a moment. He had yet to venture into Hogsmeade despite the fact he'd always had the permission to go and had been constantly encouraged to do so by Sirius and Remus. The need had never risen however and Draco had never mentioned it and so they had never bothered. The young saviour had nothing against the idea however and it would certainly be something different to do for a change.

"Very well." He murmured. "Draco and I will be happy to accompany you."

"Uh, don't you need to ask Draco first?" Hermione inquired.

"Draco will come willingly when I tell him I have already set my mind on doing as you have requested."

Hermione smiled brightly at that. "Harry, you're wonderful!" She enthused as she leaned forward and pecked a quick kiss onto his cheek. Before Harry could even properly react to that, the girl had turned and was dashing off back down the corridor.

Harry watched her go and unconsciously brought a hand up to rub the spot where his cheek at been kissed. It had been a display of affection which had been...A bit of a shock really. It obviously hadn't been a romantic gesture, more platonic than anything, but it had still been a surprise just as the first time Draco had kissed him had been. Had it been unpleasant? In all honesty, he wasn't completely sure. Would he want it to happen again? Once more, he wasn't completely sure. He wasn't sure of much at that moment, the kiss had seemed to completely scramble his mind.

In somewhat of a trance-like state, Harry turned around, planning to head towards the Great Hall once again. However, his pathway was no longer clear and was instead blocked by the large figure of Gryffindor's Ronald Weasley. The expression on the red head's face was like pure murder and Harry could only guess at what had made the young man so angry.

"Yes?" Harry asked in his usual monotone.

"I thought I'd already warned you to leave Hermione alone, Potter?"

"Yes, you have, but considering that was not what Hermione told me herself, I chose to ignore your words as they were obviously misguided."

"Well then I'll tell you again; stay away from Hermione. And this time I suggest you don't ignore me, if you know what's good for you."

If Harry was one for displaying any sort of emotion, he may have blinked in confusion then. Instead, he simply continued to look at the other young man before he spoke: "Is your hostility a result of your jealousy or have I done inadvertently done something to offend you?"

"Jealousy? Why would I be jealous of a freak like you?" The Weasley sneered nastily.

"Perhaps because I hold a position you yourself wish to hold. I am Hermione's friend and she is mine, we call the other by their first name and we are comfortable together in intimate quarters. What I have with Hermione is what you desire to have with her, is it not?" Harry inquired as he slowly approached the Gryffindor. "You wish to have her address you by your first name and you wish to do the same in return, you wish to call her a friend and have her call you the same, you wish to be the one whose cheek she kisses."

The fist which flew towards him then registered in Harry's mind before it connected but not soon enough to allow him time to react. A sense of deja vu occurred to him at the violent contact as he was reminded of when Draco had done the exact same thing to him. As had happened back then, the stoic youth made no sign that the blow had hurt as his head snapped to the side sharply. However, unlike last time, pain blossomed at the contact and the stony act was much harder to maintain. Several gasps came from somewhere nearby, no doubt other students who had stopped to see the sight of their saviour being punched by a seemingly random Gryffindor and, as it turned out, they were not the only ones to see it.

"Mr Weasley!" The voice of Professor McGonagall suddenly rang out through the corridor loudly. Harry turned his gaze but not his head in the woman's direction and saw her rapid approach. "What in Merlin's name do you think you're doing? Explain yourself at once!"

The ginger haired Gryffindor began to flounder immediately and it was clear he had no idea what to say or how to justify his actions. After all, the punch couldn't really be justified in any other way than admitting that he had simply lost his temper and that would hardly go over well with the headmistress. The Weasley had hit Harry with only the very slightest verbal provocation which hadn't even been intended to rile him up. Considering exactly who Harry was didn't make the situation any better.

As Ron continued to struggle to find something to say and as the small crowd which had gathered whispered amoung themselves, Harry thought over the situation. He knew that, technically, the Gryffindor deserved whatever punishment he was about to be assigned. He hadn't meant to anger Weasley and a punch in the face was a totally disproportionate reaction to what had actually been said. But still, the Slytherin felt responsible on a level and so, before he could even really think about it, he was speaking words in the Weasley's defense:

"It was my fault." He murmured and that effectively stopped all noise. "I am the one who provoked Mr Weasley into violence."

"Mr Potter?" McGonagall said with a light frown.

Harry said nothing and continued to stare blankly across to Ron who was looking at him with something akin to disbelief.

"You can't possibly expect me to believe that you spoke with the intention of provoking Mr Weasley." The headmistress insisted as her frown deeped.

"Are you accusing me of lying?" He asked in his usual monotone as he turned his gaze onto the headmistress.

She was, and what was more, everyone, absolutely everyone, standing in that crowd knew that Harry was lying. But none of them said anything. Who was to challenge the word of the Boy-Who-Lived-To-Defeat-The-Dark-Lord after all? The saviour had his reasons and, in their opinion, who were they to judge?

McGonagall sighed heavily, clearly disappointed with the situation for countless reasons. "Very well." She consented primly. "Fifty points will be deducted from each of you and you will both serve detention with Mr Filch tonight, beginning at seven o'clock sharp and I hope it will teach you both to think a bit before you let your emotions run away with you. Understand?"

"Yes." Harry answered.

"Yeah." Ron muttered, glaring off to the side.

The headmistress said no more, simply gracing both young men with a withering stare before turning and stalking away. With that, the crowd slowly but surely began to disperse and walk away. Without word or glance to the ginger haired Gryffindor beside him, Harry turned and started towards the Great Hall again. He felt the stare of the other follow him the entire way but that was the last thing on his mind. No, at that moment, he was far more preoccupied with the question of how he was going to calm Draco when he told the Malfoy about what had happened and his assigned detention.

* * *

7th November 1997: Night

The day had passed, Draco had yelled and cursed and the time for Harry to serve his first detention ever had arrived. Ron Weasley had joined him and then Filch had set them their task; clean as many floors as possible for three hours without the use of magic. While the Gryffindor had muttered complaints under his breath, Harry had simply got on with things though he soon found that physical labour was nothing to be sniffed at. He had never really had to do anything physically strenuous before and so it wasn't long before he started to suffer the affects of being down on his hands and knees on cold floors for prolonged lengths of time.

Although Filch had spoken no demand for silence, the task was carried out in it, neither boy saying anything. Though, curiously, Harry did notice that the red haired young man kept on glancing over to him almost constantly which eventually got a little tiring. It was apparent that there was something Ron wanted to say and yet he wasn't saying it. It was only when their three hours were coming to an end and their release was imminent that the Slytherin decided to finally call the Gryffindor on the strange behaviour.

"Why do you continue to glance in my direction?" Harry inquired, not bothering to look to the one he was talking to since it was something he rarely did anyway, let alone for someone who he didn't get on well with.

"I don't." The Gryffindor shot back defensively.

That was fine with Harry. He had provided an opening for the Weasley to voice what was bothering him and he had chosen to ignore it. Harry wasn't going to force the issue. Thankfully, it was at that moment that Filch appeared again and basically told them to get back to their dorm rooms before he gave them detention for being out after curfew, something the dark haired youth thought was rather unnecessary. The caretaker seemed to hate everyone and everything except his cat however so the cold words were no real surprise. The man left them again just as quickly as he had joined them and the two teenagers immediately stood and began to try and loosen their aching joints and their pained backs.

As Harry gingerly tried to ease the pain in his back by stretching slightly and twisting his waist, his eyes once again moved onto the sight of his fellow detentionee. The Weasley was doing much the same as he was but had a scowl like thunder on his face and his cheeks were slightly red, perhaps from anger or perhaps from the embarrassment which lingered from Harry calling him on his staring. Whatever was going on in the Gryffindor's mind, one thing was certain; he wasn't going to speak before they parted. So, Harry felt the need to take it upon himself. He wasn't out to make enemies and he saw little point in allowing his position with the Weasley to deteriorate further simply because of silence. Therefore, he spoke the words which needed to be said to make the red haired young man realise that Harry was no threat to him.

"You have my word that Hermione and I are nothing more than friends," he said quietly, as always not looking at the one he was addressing. "And not only because no one means more to me than Draco. Hermione is a wonderful person and I can understand why you are attracted to her, but I do not feel such things towards her myself." He turned to go then, heading away from where Ron still stood.

"Potter," Weasley spoke and the dark haired youth paused accordingly. "Why did you lie?"

Harry stared ahead of himself for a few moments, acting as though he hadn't even heard the question. But then, finally, he spoke his answer: "My reasons are my own." And without further word, he left the Gryffindor standing there in favour of heading back to the dungeons.

* * *

8th November 1997: Morning

The next day began and brought the beginning of the weekend along with it, much to the delight of the entire Hogwarts population. At eleven o'clock in the morning, the majority of the students were up and about but there were still some who were sleeping in. There was no great surprise in the fact that Harry, Draco and Hermione were three of those up and walking around and not only because they were going to Hogsmeade together.

Draco's acceptance of his trip into the village with Harry and Hermione had come easily though also reluctantly. Despite the handshake the Slytherin and the Gryffindor had shared, old feelings obviously died hard for the Malfoy. He still didn't particularly like Hermione but it was no longer for the simple reason that she was Muggle-born. No, Draco just didn't like her as a person, he thought she was a bossy little Gryffindor know-it-all, but he kept his feelings to himself. He and Harry had already had a bit of a falling out because of the girl and it was obvious the dark haired youth would take the girl's side if the Malfoy was to refuse to spend time with her simply because he didn't like her. After all, it was clear that Harry wasn't overly keen on the other Seventh Year Slytherins but he put up with their presence because Draco was still on rather friendly terms with all of them, with the possible exception of Parkinson.

At that moment however, Draco's was somewhere other than with Harry. The two had agreed that it would probably be best if Harry went to go and meet Hermione at the Gryffindor Tower by himself. While everyone knew the blond had fought for the Light in the war, there were still many hard feelings towards him and strolling so casually into Gryffindor territory would only cause problems. So, Harry went to meet the girl by himself as most people adored him despite his sorting into Slytherin.

Having successfully met, Hermione and Harry had already made their way to the school's entrance where they would meet with Draco who was yet to arrive. So, they stood together, the girl calmly chatting about their latest Potions assignment while the young man listened and nodded his head whenever was appropriate. The conversation eventually had to stop however with the approach of Remus and Sirius.

Despite having both men as his teachers, Harry was satisfied with the amount of time he had spent with the men since the beginning of the school year. They all had their own work to do and so there had literally only been two or three out-of-class discussions between them, the type where they asked him how everything was going and whether he was making friends. Harry knew the men asked because they cared about him and they wanted to see him grow and be "normal" but he also couldn't help but loathe such conversations, because he wasn't "normal" and he probably never would be and that was something neither Remus or, especially, Sirius seemed to be able to accept.

"Morning there, Harry, Hermione." Sirius greeted them cheerfully as he strolled up to the two teenagers with Remus at his side.

"Going somewhere, Harry?" Remus asked with warm enthusiasm, noting that the dark haired youth was dressed in a warm, winter cloak.

"Hogsmeade." Was the simple answer to that, spoken in a monotone as green eyes remained fixed on the view through the open doorway.

"Just the two of you?" Sirius inquired, sounding both surprised and hopeful, something which puzzled both of the teenagers slightly.

Just then, as if taking his cue from Sirius' words, Draco came strolling up to them. "Sorry I'm late." He said as he reached them, slipping an arm around Harry's waist comfortably. "I got side-tracked by Crabbe and Goyle on the way here."

"It's all right, we were just talking with Professor Black and Professor Lupin." Hermione assured the blond. Both she and Harry noticed how Sirius' hope at faded with Draco's arrival as had the enthusiasm Remus had shown before.

"Oh please, Hermione, no need to be so formal," Sirius grinned to her. "Outside of class, feel free to call us by our first names. Any friend of Harry's is a friend of ours after all."

"Somehow I very much doubt that." Harry murmured to that before he turned away from his two guardians. "We had best be going again."

"Harry..." Remus began, taking a step towards him.

"Good day, Remus," Harry interrupted him neutrally as he and his two friends began to walk away. "Good day, Sirius." They didn't wait for a reply before they picked up their pace and left the two men behind.

"Do they not approve of you and Draco?" Hermione asked gently.

"Whether they do or not is irrelevant." The dark haired youth answered.

The Gryffindor girl glanced to Draco who simply gave her a shrug in reply. Sighing lightly, Hermione allowed the subject to drop and their journey out of the school was continued in a slightly tense silence.

* * *

14th November 1997: Morning

Harry had been woken that morning by and bright and cheerful Draco who had proceeded with his slightly annoying habit of declaring whenever the dark haired boy experienced/did something for the first time. For it was the day of Hogwarts' first official Quidditch match and so would be the first time Harry saw an actual, real life game. And, in Draco's mind, it was all the better as the match was between Gryffindor and Slytherin. In Harry's mind, it made things slightly better but still, on the whole, he saw it as a pointless activity. Nevertheless, as always he put the Malfoy's happiness before his own and so there he sat at the very front of the Slytherin stands, Crabbe and Goyle on either side of him and Parkinson and Bulstrode sitting just behind him.

The common opinion before the match would be that Slytherin would lose if only because of their major disadvantage. Where as Gryffindor's team only had one new player to replace a Seventh Year who had graduated, on the Slytherin team, Draco was the only continuing player and the rest were all new and mostly from the Fifth Year. Apparently, Death Eaters enjoyed Quidditch and the entire team had been made up of them (or at least the children of them), and so when they had dropped out of Hogwarts (from either shame or being expelled) it left the House of Snakes without a team. However, now that the game was actually being played, Slytherin were doing extremely well, having just equalised with Gryffindor. It appeared that the new blood was exactly what the team needed, or perhaps it was the determination they all felt to show the school they were still a threat and not so easily dismissed.

If the screams, cheers and gasps were anything to go by, it was an exciting match, not that Harry would have known otherwise. He was finding himself extremely bored at that moment and his interest was only slightly peeked when he heard a name he recognised, which was either Draco's or Ron Weasley's.

The presence of the ginger haired Gryffindor had practically disappeared from Harry's life just as suddenly as it became part of it. Of course, the Weasley was still present in class but he now seemed to make a point of steering well clear of the Wizarding world's saviour. Harry hadn't heard a word from the youth let alone had any interaction with him and so he assumed that he had finally got the message and realised there was no need for jealousy...

A sudden startled cry from the pitch caught Harry's attention and he lifted his gaze from where it had fallen to staring at his shoes. He looked just in time to catch the sight of a Gryffindor Chaser steady themselves on a broom as a bludger, which had obviously been what the Chaser had had to dodge, hurtled straight at the stand Harry was sitting on. The Slytherin crowd screamed and scattered as the bludger came flying towards them all and before Harry could react himself, he felt a firm hand on his shoulder which yanked him to the side. He, Crabbe, Goyle, Bulstrode and Parkinson all stumbled away in a rather haphazard manner in order to avoid the rogue bludger. Harry was just about regaining his balance and footing when he felt a very definite pressure on his back which tipped him over. Before anyone could properly react, the saviour of the Wizarding world went tumbling over the side of the stand and began a free-fall towards the ground several dozen feet below.

He thought he heard a scream of his name but he wasn't sure. He thought he saw the bludger whizz dangerously close to his head but he may have been mistaken. There was no way he could miss or mistake the definite sensation of a hand wrapping around his wrist though and he focussed his gaze to see Ron Weasley above him. The ginger haired Gryffindor kept a strong hold on Harry and pulled the saviour up until he was firmly on the broom, in front of the rider and clutched to the firm chest with a firm arm around his waist. Harry held onto Ron's Quidditch robes as though his life depended on it, something he was glad of when the broom suddenly lurched.

"What the Hell is wrong with that bludger?" The Weasley seethed angrily as he tried to dodge the ball while also keeping a firm hold of the smaller young man in his arms.

"It has been tampered with." Harry revealed (though how he knew was anyone's guess), his quiet voice only just reaching Ron over the sound of rushing air. "It needs to be destroyed."

"Got'cha." The Quidditch player assured before he made a very sharp turn which made Harry cling to him even more. They flew a little further up and a little closer to the Gryffindor stands where, just as they were reaching Hermione, Ron shouted out: "Destroy the bludger!"

Whether Hermione heard or not, neither of the young men knew and they had no time to linger and make sure. They had to keep moving less the hexed bludger catch them and cause some serious damage. Although, a small part of Harry was thinking that a broken arm might be preferable to all the dodging, darting and weaving the broom was doing. He was starting to feel quite queasy, not to mention his heart was racing a mile a minute as he was completely petrified. Once again, they were so high up and moving so erratically and the only thing stopping them from falling to the ground was a slim length of wood which the dark haired youth wasn't even straddling but instead sitting astride.

They started to head towards the ground at such a speed that Harry feared something was wrong. He glanced up and Ron's face and saw a look of determination so perhaps that meant the Gryffindor had a plan in his mind. It was no doubt a brilliant, awe-inspiring plan which would have saved them, but it never came to pass as, quite suddenly, the broom tipped dangerously underneath them as the end was roughly hit by the bludger. Ron cursed loudly as both he and Harry fell from the broom and went falling the five or six feet left towards the ground.

Harry felt the breath rush from his lungs as he hit the ground and it left his body in a harsh gasp. He found he couldn't quite bring himself to regain his breath then and he could only lay there, struggling, all too aware that it was only a matter of time before the bludger, which was obviously hexed to follow him, found its target. Indeed, not a moment later and the sight of the brown ball hurtling towards him entered the corner of the dark haired youth's vision. His limbs like lead, he couldn't make himself move and so he simply relaxed, hoping that the bludger hit him somewhere reasonably insignificant like a leg or an arm rather than his chest of his head.

However, once again, he was saved though this time by no one as surprising as Ron Weasley. Harry's sight was suddenly blocked by a back covered in the green of Slytherin's Quidditch robes and he knew who it was even before his gaze reached the head and he saw the silver-blond hair. Draco stood in front of him protectively, a borrowed Beater bat in his hand which he used to give the bludger a hearty whack, sending it shooting away where moments later it was hit with a spell from someone and it stopped dead before simply dropping to the ground lifelessly. Within seconds, the Malfoy had chucked away the bat, turned around and fallen to his knees beside Harry.

"Are you hurt?" He asked somewhat frantically as he slipped a hand underneath Harry's neck.

Still not having quite regained his breath, Harry simply shook his head in a sign that he was fine or at least would be in a moment or two. Draco didn't seem at all reassured by that but passed no more comment. He slowly helped the gasping hero to sit up, just in time for them to be joined by the ginger haired Gryffindor who had saved the dark haired Slytherin from more serious damage.

"You okay?" Ron asked, sounding rather breathless himself as he looked down on Harry with a concerned gaze.

"Yes." Harry just about managed to speak, his breath returning to him slowly.

"Here, let me give you a hand." The Gryffindor offered and he held out a hand for Harry to take so he could be helped up.

Before Harry could even think to take it though, Draco was already picking him up, one arm supporting the smaller male's back while the others supported his form underneath the knees. "You're help is appreciated Weasley, but don't go over-stepping your bounds." The Malfoy said coldly and without further word, turned and started to carry Harry off of the pitch, ignoring the now fuming Gryffindor they left behind.

"That was unnecessary." Harry murmured quietly as he was carried along. "As is you carrying me; I am quite able to walk."

"You landed heavily on your back, you might've hurt yourself without knowing, better to be safe than sorry." Was all Draco said to that before he went off in a rant: "None of this should have happened anyway. Bloody Gryffindors playing pranks no doubt. And what a fat lot of good Crabbe and Goyle were, they're supposed to keeping an eye out for you when I'm not around and they barely reacted to the accident..."

Draco carried on talking but Harry gradually tuned his voice out. He allowed himself to continue to be carried away by Draco as he turned his gaze up to the section of the Slytherin stands he had been standing in. Even from the distance, he could just about make out the other four Seventh Year Slytherins. As he stared up at them, there was only one real thought running through his head, that Draco had been wrong and his fall had been no accident or the result of a prank; one of the four Seventh Year Slytherins had pushed him.

* * *

End of Chapter 5.  
Yes, we had action! Finally! Took long enough to get here XD  
Okay, now onto the subject of my Harry Potter block. As I've already said, thank you to everyone who offered their ideas to try and help me out of the hole I find myself in. And your efforts were not in vain as several of you made a similar suggestion which got me thinking. Perhaps, the way out of this block is to try something new, to try a new pairing. So, once again, I ask you, my precious readers, for your advice as I don't want to alienate anyone. Is there a couple (other than Draco and Harry who we all know, in an ideal world, belong together XD) that you'd be willing to read? And, on the flip side, is there a couple that you'd never read even if someone paid you? Oh, and what do we all think of threesomes because I'd be willing to have a go at that as well.  
With those questions, I leave you all for another two weeks.

Hugs  
Dream


	6. 30th Nov to 6th Dec 1997

Hi everyone :)

As always, big thanks yous to everyone who reviewed last chapter and also for those who gave me their opinions on different couples.  
One thing I feel the need to make very clear, the pairing in this story will remain Draco/Harry, that's not going to change and it wouldn't change even if I didn't already have most of it written (just one and a half more chapters and it'll be completely pre-written). So, this story, Draco/Harry. Next story (if there is one), who knows but probably not Draco/Harry.  
I shall now stop talking and allow you all to read :)

* * *

Darkness which stretched as far as the eye could see. Nothing but darkness yet there were voices which rang out loud and clear.

"Avenge our Lord's defeat!"

"Death to the traitors!"

"Death to the Malfoys!"

Figures began to materialise out of the darkness. Most in the familiar black garb of Death Eaters, masks covering their faces. In the middle of them though, on the floor, three bodies, three bodies which were easily recognised. One, an adult male with black hair. The second an adult male with silver-blond hair. The third, an adult female with the same silver-blonde hair as the man. None of them were moving. It was clear they were dead.

The Death Eater's turned then to see a familiar young man, obviously the son of the two deceased blondes. He was bloodied, his shoulders hunched, his breathing heavy, the wand he held in his right hand snapped in half with the two pieces connected by nothing more than the wand's core. He was still standing though, still not willing to go down without a fight. How was one to fight with a broken wand though? It was clear to all this youth's life would not continue for much longer.

Indeed, as one, the gathered Death Eaters brought up their wands and pointed them to the blond whose body shook from fatigue. Then, without sound, one terrifying flash of green burst from all their wands and shot straight towards the youth. Upon contact, the blond crumpled...

* * *

30th November 1997: Early Morning

Harry's eyes flew open as he sucked in a harsh breath. When his surroundings caught up with him, he sat himself up and glanced to his right where he should've been greeted with the sight of Draco's bed. Instead, he came face to face with the hangings of his own bed.

What had woken him, what he had seen...A dream? He hadn't had a single dream since he had been woken that summer by Snape and Draco and he had thought that he simply couldn't dream. A thought chilled him suddenly then. Before, when he dreamt, it was always of things which were happening in the world outside. Was it still the same? Did what he dream...

The thought wasn't even finished before Harry was up and out of his bed, scurrying over to Draco's bed where the blond was apparently quite peacefully asleep. Harry needed to be sure though so he reached forward with one hand and gently pressed his index and middle finger to the correct position on the slumberer's neck. Beneath the pads of his fingers, he felt a familiar pulse and relief instantly washed through him; Draco was alive and well.

"Is there a reason you're lurking over me in the middle of the night with your fingers against my neck?" Draco's sleep-heavy voice came then, startling Harry into immediately moving his gaze onto the face which appeared to still be asleep.

"I..." Harry murmured quietly. "I saw you die, in my sleep."

"A bad dream." Draco mumbled, not sounding in the least disturbed or even particularly interested.

"I have not dreamt since I was woken," Harry continued, feeling the need to explain himself. "And every dream I had before that were visions of what was actually happening in the world. I did not mean to disturb you but I was...Concerned."

The dark haired youth didn't look at Draco, instead staring off to the side and looking at the wall. The sound of shifting occurred to him but he ignored it until a voice spoke: "Climb aboard."

Harry looked back to Draco then and saw the blond had now shifted over so he was closer to the other side of the bed and had lifted up the duvet. "Pardon?"

"Get in and sleep beside me tonight." Draco mumbled the clarification.

If Harry had been the type, he might've blushed at those words. Instead, he simply did as he was told and slipped underneath the duvet of Draco's bed. Arms immediately came around him and he was pulled against the cotton-covered chest of the Malfoy. A faint scent of thyme invaded Harry's senses and, upon realising it was coming from his companion, he wondered how he had managed to never before notice that Draco carried the pleasant smell.

A light jog brought Harry out of his scent-induced thoughts then and his gaze flickered onto the resting face of Draco. "Loosen up and go to sleep Harry, I'll keep your nightmare's away."

The stoic youth felt a light twinge in his heart at that but instead of expressing that, he gave his usual, rather standard, reply to a statement such as that: "You are far too romantic for your own good."

A tired chuckle was the only answer Harry got to that. A very light smile of his own found its way onto the dark haired youth's face and he allowed himself to relax, secure in the knowledge that Draco was safe and well.

* * *

1st December 1997: Morning 

When Harry woke, he didn't bother to open his eyes. He simply yawned lightly and stretched his arms in front of him, his back flexing and earning a disgruntled mumble from his bed partner. Glancing over his shoulder, he saw the resting face of Draco Malfoy scrunch into a light frown as he shifted to get back the comfort Harry had accidently disturbed. Draco was spooned behind him, one arm snaked around Harry's waist and their legs were tangled together intimately meaning that the slighter youth wouldn't be able to rise without Draco allowing it.

It was actually rather surprising to Harry just how well he had slept with Draco for company. If asked beforehand, he would've assumed that he would find the presence of another in a bed too disturbing and he wouldn't have been able to fall asleep. The exact opposite had been the case. The comforting warmth and weight of Draco seemed to have helped Harry to sleep peacefully and he was feeling particularly light of mood now he was awake. Harry idly wondered what time it was as it was a Monday so they did have classes to attend. He couldn't quite bring himself to care about that however and so he settled back down, relaxing his body once again and slowing his thoughts. It didn't last long however as Draco once again started to stir, this time obviously intending to wake up more and Harry felt the blond prop himself up on an elbow.

"Hmm, morning, love." The Malfoy drawled lazily as he leaned down and placed a small kiss just underneath Harry's ear.

"Good morning." Harry returned the greeting quietly, still not opening his eyes.

"You slept all right after joining me." It was a statement more than a question but still something which needed confirmation.

"Yes. What time is it?"

"Time to get up. A shame really," Draco yawned as he untangled himself from the smaller form beside him. "I must say that waking up beside you is an extremely pleasant way to start the morning."

The blond swung his legs over the side of the bed and stood then, disappearing behind the drapes. Harry turned his head and watched him go before doing the same himself. There was no time to waste in lazing about.

* * *

1st December 1997: Evening 

Harry sat mutely beside Draco, the end of the bench on his other side, as the other five Seventh Year Slytherins snickered at something one of them had said. Even if Harry had been paying attention to whatever it was being said, it was doubtful he would've found it as amusing as the others seemed to. He was less inclined to laugh at that moment more than usual anyway because of the company he was in.

As far as he was concerned, those in the seventh year of being in Slytherin, who before had been harmless acquaintances, were now possible threats. Millicent Bulstrode, Pansy Parkinson, Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle; each one of them was a suspect in Harry's mind. He had been pushed during the Quidditch match, he knew that for a fact, and he was inclined to believe it had been on purpose as well. Those four had been the only ones in the immediate area, the only ones who could have reached him to push. One of them wasn't a friend at all, perhaps more than one, perhaps they were together, in on it all. Harry was aware how paranoid that sounded but he knew he had to consider everything.

"Everything okay?" Draco's voice broke into Harry's thoughts then and the saviour turned to look at his companion. "You seem rather gloomy."

"Your concern is unnecessary, everything is well." Harry assured, not seeing the need in telling Draco his suspicions. There was nothing the Malfoy could do about it and Harry wanted to see if he could figure everything out himself without anyone getting stressed.

Draco didn't seem convinced with Harry's reassurance but before he could challenge it, the voice of Headmistress McGonagall called for silence. Gradually, every student complied and a hush fell over the Great Hall. Harry turned his gaze but not his head towards the woman at the front of the hall and listened as she began to address them all.

"Today, as you all know, is the first of December, a month for coming together and putting aside past differences. So, in the spirit of coming together and in the interest of promoting inter-house unity, we, your teachers, have decided that a celebration is in order. Inspired from the Triwizard Tournament some years back, on the eighteenth of this month, the day before you return home to your families for the holidays, we will be holding a Yule Ball for all years to enjoy a night of well-mannered frivolity."

It wasn't the most excitement-inducing announcement in the world but the majority of the student population seemed to think the news was. Excited chatter immediately exploded everywhere, even at the Slytherin table. "Oh, a dance!" Millicent gushed enthusiastically. "That sounds wonderful!"

"Will you go with me Draco?" Pansy asked almost instantly. "It'll be just like in Fourth Year."

"I'm already going with Harry." Draco replied easily.

"I asked you first!" The blonde girl protested.

"Harry didn't need to ask me, just as I don't need to ask him."

"But he's a boy!"

"I'm well aware of his gender."

"But you can't attend a dance with another boy!"

"If I can hold a boy's hand, kiss a boy's lips and sleep with a boy in my bed, I don't see why I can't attend a ball in the company of a boy." The Malfoy pointed out rather reasonably.

Harry did nothing nor even showed he was aware of what was being said as he simply poured more pumpkin juice into his goblet. Naturally, he was well aware of what was going on around him, he just felt no inclination to acknowledge it. He would've thought Parkinson would've realised by that point that her feelings for Draco were neither reciprocated nor welcomed, whether they had been in the past or not an irrelevant point. Obviously not though, or perhaps the girl was simply hoping that Draco would one day grow bored of the dark haired youth who barely seemed alive sometimes. Harry was rather confident Draco would never grow bored of him however, though he couldn't honestly explain how he could think that.

Parkinson had left, having stormed/flounced out of the Great Hall at some point after receiving Draco's answer. No one seemed bothered by her departure.

* * *

1st December 1997: Night 

"What time is it?" Harry inquired softly from where he was sitting in between Draco's legs, reading a book. The blond sat behind him, leaning back against the headboard of his bed with the dark haired youth resting his back his chest.

A short moment of nothing before Draco's answered. "Eleven twenty-eight."

"We have lessons tomorrow, we should both go to bed." Was Harry's comment to that and so he went to move off the bed. However, before he could move too far, the arms hugging him around the waist tightened and stopped him from going anywhere further. "Draco, what...?"

"Why don't you share my bed again tonight?"

"But I am not in need of comfort."

"So? That's not the only reason to want to sleep in the same bed as each other, at least I hope it's not."

Harry said nothing in reply to that but he did think about what his friend had said. Did he want to sleep in the same bed as Draco? It had been the Malfoy who had offered, so it was obviously something he wanted, but did Harry want it? Or was he not fussed either way? It had definitely been reassuring the previous night, to feel his best friend's body beside him after such a disturbing dream and it had been pleasant to wake up beside someone. True, the comfort of the arrangement wasn't needed at that particular moment but perhaps the simple reason that a part of him wanted to sleep next to Draco that night was enough to go along with the idea.

"Very well," Harry murmured. "I shall sleep beside you again tonight."

Draco leaned his head down and pressed kisses from Harry's shoulder all the way up to his jaw before giving him a squeeze around the waist. "Excellent choice, love."

* * *

2nd December 1997: Afternoon 

"Excited about the ball Harry?"

The stoic youth didn't bother to even glance at Hermione, who sat beside him at a table in the library, when she asked him that question as it was probably the most pointless thing he had ever heard her say. He had never been excited about anything before so something as simple as a school dance wasn't going to induce such feelings and Hermione should've really known that. Unless she did and that was simply one of those ice-breaker things in which case she apparently wanted to talk about it.

"I believe Draco is." Was Harry's answer as he couldn't truthfully say he was.

"Has he asked you to go with him yet?"

"No."

That seemed to shock Hermione more than a little. "He hasn't asked you? I would've thought for sure he'd want to go with you."

"He will be accompanying me."

Now Hermione simply looked confused. "But you just said he hasn't asked you."

"He did not ask me, he told me."

"And you don't have a problem with that?" The girl asked him with a light frown. "Just being told what to do, and expected to go along with it?"

"It was unnecessary for Draco to ask me; he knew my answer would be yes." Harry revealed just before he flickered his gaze onto the girl beside him. She still looked rather put out with the information and so the Slytherin thought it would be wise to divert their conversation slightly. "Have you been asked to accompany anyone?"

The tactic worked and the previous expression on the girl's face vanished in an instant to be replaced with a blush and a rather embarrassed and flustered look. "Oh, I, erm, no, not yet."

"Is there anyone you wish to go with?" Not that he was particularly interested but he felt this was the way his friend wanted the conversation to go in.

More stuttering then. "Um, no, uh, not especially."

"Perhaps Ron Weasley?" Harry suggested, merely because he knew of the other teenager's "fancy" for Hermione. What he did not expect was the reaction he got from the girl. Her face turned even redder and it was obvious that he had hit the proverbial nail right on the head. "You desire the company of Ron Weasley." As always, it was a statement rather than a question.

"It's nothing but a silly idea." Hermione immediately dismissed, sounding hurried and flustered. "I'm sure he's not even thinking about asking me."

"Perhaps you should ask him."

"Oh no, I would never have the nerve!" She cried, sounding aghast at the idea.

Harry flickered his gaze onto her again and said no more on the subject. It all seemed very silly to him. Ron not telling Hermione he had a fancy for her, Hermione refusing to even admit she had a fancy for her fellow Gryffindor; it was all quite unnecessary in the saviour's mind. It was none of his business however and so he would not interfere.

* * *

4th December 1997: Midday 

It was none of his business so he would not interfere.

Harry was well aware those had once been words he had thought in his head, but after two full days of listening to Hermione sigh, watching Weasley mope and seeing the two of them act like skittish rabbits around each other, the Slytherin had had enough. Knowing what he did seemed to have highlighted any contact Hermione and Ron had and his gaze seemed to be immediately drawn to them if they happened across each other when he was around. The way they were acting was so bothersome that Harry had made up his mind. To stop the distraction, he would talk to Weasley himself.

That was why, on that day, the entire Great Hall was more than a little surprised to see Harry Potter walk right up to the Gryffindor table, stop beside Ron Weasley and say in his usual quiet monotone: "May I speak with you?"

Ron didn't seem to quite understand the words which had come out of the Slytherin's mouth at first as he simply gaped at Harry like a fish. But then, quite abruptly, he almost yelled a rather startled "sure" before standing. Harry took that as his cue to turn and walk away, leading the ginger haired teenager out of the Great Hall so they could talk away from the stares of the students. They stopped just beside an alcove several metres away from the Great Hall's doors and Harry turned towards Ron and did something which was so rare for him; he actually looked the taller youth in the eyes as he spoke.

"I wish to inquire as to whether you have yet asked a student to accompany you to the Yule Ball."

Whatever Ron had been expecting, that obviously hadn't been it as the Gryffindor appeared to be rather startled by the question. "Um, no, I, uh, I haven't got around to asking anyone yet, I'm still, you know, weighing up my options." He replied, trying to make himself sound confident and in control of the situation.

"Indeed." Harry replied, seeing straight through the tone and the words. "Since you are available, may I recommend you ask Hermione Granger to accompany you."

Ron's face turned bright red at that suggestion and he looked away, immediately becoming awkward. "I, uh, I dunno, she's probably already got someone to go with..."

"She has not."

"Well, then, she probably wouldn't want to go with me."

"She does."

Ron paused then and turned his gaze back onto the stoic person in front of him. "How do you know?"

"She told me."

"Are you serious?"

"Yes."

"So she likes me?"

"I assume so."

That seemed to be the right thing to say as Ron's face immediately lit up and he looked more than a little happy and excited. Harry watched with little interest as the Gryffindor seemed to go from happy to panicked in a matter of mere seconds. "Oh Merlin, how the bloody Hell am I supposed to go about asking her?"

The stoic youth said nothing as he assumed it had been a rhetorical question and still said nothing as Ron started to get himself wound up into a tighter and tighter knot, muttering to himself about different possibilities and the fears and worries he had. It would have been a comical sight if not so pointless and pathetic. Still, Harry allowed the other youth to talk himself out, which he did eventually though it was only so he could immediately turn his attentions back onto the Slytherin.

"Good on ya mate for letting me know." Ron said enthusiastically as he gave Harry a hardy slap on the back, something the saviour was used to from his godfather so it was accepted with ease. "Honestly, I really appreciate it." He continued to gush as he grabbed onto the Slytherin's right hand with both of his own and shook it excitedly. "If there's anything you ever need help with, just let me know, I'll be there for you in an instant."

The denial that such a thing was unnecessary was on the tip of Harry's tongue but it was never spoken as, at that moment, they were interrupted by the familiar voice of Draco. "What are you doing talking to Harry, Weasley?"

Ron paused in shaking Harry's hand (and didn't let it go) to glance to the blond who was coming up behind the dark haired Slytheirn. "Don't get your knickers in a twist Malfoy, Harry was just giving me the best news I've heard all year." He turned back to Harry then and began to shake his hand in earnest again. "Thanks again, mate, and remember what I said; I owe you one." Finally, with that said, the Gryffindor dropped Harry's hand before turning and hurrying back into the Great Hall.

Both Slytherins were silent as they watched the ginger haired youth leave them and it wasn't until Ron was out of sight that Draco spoke: "What was all that about?" He inquired with a light frown.

"I fear I could not explain it even if I fully understood it myself." Was Harry's answer to that.

* * *

4th December 1997: Afternoon 

"Do you know how to dance?"

"I doubt it." Harry replied to the question put to him by Draco as they walked down a corridor, hand in hand, heading back to the dungeons now that their last lesson of the day was over.

"Perhaps we should practice a bit before the ball then." The blond mused thoughtfully.

"For what purpose?"

"So that you have a bit more idea of what you're doing on the actual night. I think you'll enjoy it more that way."

"If that is what you think is best." Harry conceded, willing to take the other young man's judgement on the situation. When it came to such things, it was often better to simply just go with what Draco thought was best, Harry trusted in him enough to know the Malfoy wouldn't intentionally lead him astray.

"Harry Potter!"

Harry felt a small bolt of surprise run through him at that abrupt call of his name. He and Draco stopped both their conversation and their journey before they glanced over their shoulders to see Hermione heading straight towards them, her body language conveying that she had a purpose. By the time she had reached them, Harry had turned towards her fully, obviously prepared to handle whatever it was she was about to throw at him.

"Did you tell Ron to ask me to Yule Ball?" The Gryffindor girl demanded when she reached the two Slytherins.

"Yes." Was Harry's simple, truthful answer to that.

"He's finally asked you out then?" Draco inquired in a sort of lazy tone.

"What do you mean finally?" Hermione challenged him sternly.

"Oh please Granger, the entire school knows Weasley adores you, you were the only one who didn't seem to notice." The blond sneered and earned a blush from the girl. "Sounds to me that Harry did you a favour by telling him to be a man and ask you, now you can get on with being bashful about each other together rather than separately."

"What makes you think I said yes?" Hermione said with a defensive scowl.

"Because you're just as obvious about your attraction to Weasley as his to you is."

The Gryffindor girl appeared quite put out with the fact everyone seemed to have such a interest in her romantic life (because if Draco Malfoy knew the details of a Gryffindor affair then it was more than likely that everyone knew), but she appeared to quickly let it go in favour of going back to Harry. "You should've minded your own business." She told him firmly.

"I apologise." Harry replied though it was painfully clear he didn't mean it.

Hermione huffed lightly and put her hands on her hips as she looked away, over to the side. "I suppose I should be thanking you though, since you finally made him pluck up the courage." Her expression softened then as she turned back to shyly look at her Slytherin friend. "Thank you."

Harry inclined his head and although there was no smile on his face, inside he was pleased that he had been able to help. "You are welcome."

* * *

5th December 1997: Afternoon 

Almost every student in the Seventh Year Potions class paused when the door to their classroom opened but most returned to their work almost immediately as they saw it was only Professor Black entering. Harry hadn't even bothered to look and continued to carefully watch the potion he and Draco had bubbling on their table.

"Your godfather just came in." Draco murmured to him quietly only to get no reply from his friend. "Aren't you curious as to what he's doing here?"

"He is no doubt here to speak with Remus, he is his lover after all." Harry replied as he reached forward to adjust the intensity of the flame underneath their cauldron.

"It's awfully unprofessional though and it doesn't show a good example. I mean, they'd never let me just randomly walk into your Divination class so we could have a chat."

"We are not lovers."

Draco waved his hand. "We will be soon but I bet you we'd still get in trouble for it. I hate people who have those don't-do-as-I-do-do-as-I-say attitudes."

"What makes you think we will soon be lovers?" Harry inquired in a monotone which really didn't suit the question.

"I think six months of being together is long enough, don't you?" The blond purred seductively as he leaned in closer to the stoic young man. "And aren't you curious about what it feels like? We don't have to go all the way all at once, how about we start off with me introducing you to the pleasure a mouth can bring to you? You can't even begin to imagine how good it feels to have a hot, wet mouth wrapped around your..."

"Mr Malfoy," Remus' voice interrupted the Slytherin's verbal seduction.

Draco gave a low grunt of irritation before straightening slightly and turning to look at their teacher. "Yes Professor?" He got out in a somewhat civil tone.

"You're in this class to learn how to make potions, not talk to friends."

"Sorry Professor." Draco apologised though obviously didn't mean it before he turned back to Harry who looked completely unphased by the entire thing. "He should be the one apologising to me, he totally ruined the mood." He muttered.

"Perhaps that is for the best considering now is not the time to be indulging in carnal pleasures." Harry pointed out as he jotted down a note on the piece of parchment that was in front of him on their desk.

"I suppose." The Malfoy huffed lightly. "Parkinson would've only been too glad to have carried that on."

"Then perhaps she is the one you should be pursuing a physical relationship with." Harry suggested without emotion, as though he was doing nothing more than listing potions ingredients.

"Merlin, I can't even make you jealous." Draco muttered.

"I trust you too much to feel jealousy because of your attentions towards others."

That stopped the blond dead and he looked over to his best friend with wide eyes. Eventually though, his gaze softened and a happy smile graced his lips. "I do believe that is the most romantic thing you've ever said to me."

Harry didn't reply to that but a very soft smile curved the corners of his lips upwards. Draco saw it and beamed happily. He checked what Remus was doing and upon seeing the man was in deep conversation with Sirius, the blond quickly leaned towards Harry and pecked a kiss on the saviour's cheek.

The two young men fell into silence then, the blond content with his friend's words and the kiss he had managed to steal. They worked on the potion easily and were finished long before everyone else and the end of the lesson. So, while they waited for the class to end, they each did their own thing. Draco worked on an essay he had for Arithmancy while Harry occupied himself with a task which was a little more advanced.

A week or two after his defeat of Voldemort, Harry had noticed his magic levels evening out to a slightly more normal level (he was still more powerful than the average wizard) and his ability to perform wandless magic had faded along with it. However, just because he couldn't do wandless magic without even thinking about it anymore didn't mean that he couldn't do it at all. He had discovered, quite by accident, that he did have the ability still, just as all powerful wizards and witches did, it was simply a case of concentrating and practicing more than he ever did before. It was much more of an effort, it took a lot more out of him than it had before to such an extent that it really was easier to just use his wand, but it was something to do, something to improve, and so he practiced. At that moment, he was doing little more than trying to transfigure a scrunched up ball of paper into a rock as anything more complicated would no doubt attract attention and disturb the rest of the class.

"All right everyone," Remus spoke up and Harry was forced to give up on his practise in order to pay attention. "That's all for today, if you could just bottle your completed potions and bring them to the front and you'll all be free to go." Everyone started to move then, eager to leave the room and for the end of the school day to officially arrive. "Except for you Harry," their professor spoke over the din, attracting the dark haired youth's attention. "If you could stay behind for a moment."

"What do you think that's all about?" Draco murmured as he put a stopper in their vial of potion.

"They most probably simply wish to inquire after my well-being." Harry replied as he packed his bag. "It will no doubt take only a moment, I will meet you in our dorm room. Here," he said, holding out his hand. "I shall take up our potion."

"All right." The Malfoy sighed slightly reluctantly. "If you're not down in fifteen minutes I'm going to come back and get you."

"Very well." Harry replied with an inclination of his head before he turned and headed over to Remus' desk.

The minutes it took for all the other students to hand in their potions and then leave was spent in silence for Harry as he stood off to the side as not to get in anyone's way. It was only when the classroom doors had closed behind the final student that he moved forward in order to stand in front of the desk which Remus sat behind and Sirius sat on the edge on. Harry said nothing and simply awaited one of the adults to begin.

"Thank you for staying behind Harry," Remus said with a smile as a way to get things going. "There's nothing to worry about, you haven't done anything wrong at all, Sirius and I just wanted to talk to you about the Yule Ball." He revealed slightly tentatively.

"Very well." Harry consented in his usual monotone.

"We were wondering whether you had agreed to go with anyone yet?" Sirius spoke up from his casual perch.

"Draco is accompanying me."

Neither man seemed surprised by that piece of information, just as neither seemed too happy with it either. "Harry," Remus began carefully. "Sirius and I have been talking and we think it might be a good idea if you go to the ball with someone else, another friend perhaps."

"Why don't you ask Granger?" Sirius suggested enthusiastically.

"Hermione is already being accompanied to the ball by Ron Weasley." Harry revealed in a monotone.

"Another friend then?" Remus suggested.

Harry looked from Remus to Sirius, his expression giving away nothing as he considered what this situation was actually about. "I do not understand," he admitted eventually. "Do you both dislike Draco?"

"No, of course not Harry." Remus quickly reassured though Sirius looked less than thrilled with his partner's denials. "Draco has been a wonderful friend to you and we're grateful to him for that. It's just...We think you spend rather a lot of time together."

"Is that not what friends do?" Harry replied to that and whether he was actually asking it as a question or was actually pointing out a fact was unclear.

"You and Draco are more than just friends though, aren't you?"

"We just think you're too young for such an exclusive relationship." Sirius came back into the conversation then. "You're only seventeen after all."

"I am aware of my age."

"Then you should also be aware that you're too young to be settling down Harry. You need to use your youth to experience new things, sow your wild oats, play the field a little."

"All we're asking is that you consider what we've said," Remus told Harry gently before the youth could question his godfather's strange words. "And perhaps have a word with Draco about finding someone else to go to the ball with, okay?"

"Very well." Harry replied without emotion.

"Thank you. You can go now Harry." Remus dismissed him quietly.

Harry turned away then without further word. He left the room quickly, his mind swimming as confusing questions swirled. He had never considered what he and Draco had together was wrong or even strange and still he didn't, not really. But perhaps not everything was as Harry perceived it if Sirius and Remus felt the need to talk to him about it. He would have to talk to Draco about it, definitely, because in the end, the blond's words meant more to him than those of his guardians.

* * *

5th December 1997: Evening 

Somehow, Harry had got through dinner without mentioning to Draco what Remus and Sirius had discussed with him. He thought it best not to have other people around when he finally broached the subject and since there was no one around at that moment, he decided it was time to speak up. They were alone in their dorm room, on one of the rare occasions when they were both on their respective beds rather than sitting on the same one. Harry sat with crossed legs on his bed, trying and failing to read a book on reading tarot cards, while Draco sat with his back against the headboard of his bed, an essay of some sort backed by his thighs. Perhaps it was not an ideal time considering the blond was working on something but it had to come out eventually and Harry was reluctant to allow more time to pass in case Crabbe and Goyle returned sooner rather than later.

"Draco?" He ventured quietly as he turned himself to face his friend, uncrossing his legs and moving them to hang over the edge of the bed.

"Hmm?" The blond hummed, obviously distracted by the parchment he was writing on.

"What does it mean to sow one's wild oats?"

Draco lifted his head to look at the other teenager then, a light frown on his face. "Where did you hear an expression like that?"

"Sirius said it to me earlier. He said I should be using my youth to sow my wild oats and to play the field. And he and Remus think it would be best if we did not attend the Yule Ball together."

"Is that so?" The Malfoy said carefully as he put his parchment aside and sat up straight.

"They said we are too young for an exclusive relationship."

"I bet they did." Draco muttered, glaring off at the side.

"Draco, do you think we are too young for an exclusive relationship?" Harry murmured, sounding almost timid.

Draco moved his gaze back onto the other Slytherin then before giving a light sigh. He stood then and moved over to the one he loved, getting down on his knees at the youth's feet when he reached him. "Harry, the question that needs answering here isn't whether we're too young for a steady relationship." He told the stoic young man as he took both of the pale hands in his own. "What you need to think about and answer is the question of what it is you want. So far you have had very little control over your own life, but things can be different now. Your life is your own, as it's supposed to be and you should make your own decisions based on what you want, not what anyone else wants." A pause then before Draco spoke again. "So tell me, do you want to go to the ball with someone other than me?"

"No." Harry answered quickly and steadily demonstrating that there was no doubt in his mind on the matter.

"Do you want to spend more time apart?"

"No."

"Are you at all intrigued by the idea of being as intimate with someone else as you are with me?"

"No."

Draco gave a reassuring smile at that. "There you are then; question answered and problem solved."

"But Remus and Sirius..." Harry began to protest.

"Will get over it." The blond assured, making sure to interrupt as soon as possible. "They only want what's best for you Harry and one day, they'll realise how happy we make each other and see that I am what's best for you. So no more worrying all right?" He smiled, bringing a hand up to cup the other young man's cheek. "If you want us to stay together, then we will."

* * *

6th December 1997: Morning 

As he made his way to his Divination lesson, Harry's stride was quick and steady. He had slightly over-slept, as had Draco, and so had missed breakfast and was now going to cut making it to class on time very fine. It was possible though, just as long as he kept up his swift pace.

Unfortunately, Fate seemed to have a different plan and threw a bit of Remus into the mix. The Potions professor had just turned a corner ahead of Harry and was now making his way towards the slight youth. Considering what he and Sirius had said the day before, it was doubtful that the Slytherin was going to be able to get away without some sort of discussion with the man.

"Oh Harry, good morning." Remus greeted him cheerfully as their paths met. "Running a little late today?"

"Yes." Was Harry's simple answer to that.

"I won't keep you long then, I was just wondering if you've yet had the chance to speak to Draco about what we discussed yesterday?"

"Yes."

"So what happened?" The man prompted gently.

"We came to an agreement."

"Which was?"

"That Draco will ask his mother to make sure our dress robes are coordinated." Harry revealed, thinking back to what the blond had said the previous night when they had been discussing their plans for the ball, having been prompted to do so by the talk they had beforehand.

The smile on Remus' face faltered then and he gave the teenager a somewhat confused look. "What? But...Why...?"

"Draco and I shall still attend the Yule Ball together, no matter what you or Sirius may think." Harry didn't even bother to wait for a reply to that before he started to walk on again, continuing on in the direction he had been heading before.

"Harry, we were just trying to..." Remus began to try and explain.

The stoic youth paused then and as usual didn't even look at the man when he began to speak. "Yours and Sirius' intentions are none of my concern, something no doubt motivated you both to make such a suggestion but I have no wish to hear of it. May I suggest that you forget whatever it is that put the idea into your head though. If you do not like Draco then so be it, but do not try and twist me around to your way of thinking. Do not make me choose between you and Draco, you would not like the out-come." And with those softly spoken cryptic words, Harry started off down the corridor, continuing on his way to his Divination lesson.

* * *

End of Chapter 6.  
A part of me feels sorry for Sirius and Remus; they only want what's best for Harry after all. Another part of me, however, wants to yell at them to leave our two boys alone. They'll learn though, or at least they better (shakes fist).  
Okie dokie, I'm done for another two weeks. Catch ya'll next time :) 

Hugs  
Dream


	7. 10th Dec to 16th Dec 1997

Hi everyone :)

Thank you for the reviews, my pretties, they always make me so happy :)  
Couple of things to let you all know before we get on with this chapter. First thing, this story is officially 17 chapters long which means we have ten more chapters to go. And secondly, although I haven't actually finished yet (and am struggling terribly to), I am in the process of writing the final chapter. Therefore, I'm going to go ahead and bump the update time. So instead of updating every second Saturday, I will now be updating every Saturday. I'm sure that'll make the majority of you smile :)  
I've talked enough, on with the chapter.

* * *

10th December 1997: Afternoon 

Christmas. A celebration held practically all over the world on the twenty-fifth of December. For Christians, it was a mark of their Saviour's birth. For everyone else, it was a reason to do nothing all day, eat a lot and to give and recieve gifts to and from those they held most dear.

It was that last part which had Harry slightly worried.

The only Christmas he'd ever had was when he had been a mere five months old and he naturally couldn't remember it. So, when it came to the issue of buying gifts, he was woefully ignorant. Obviously he would have to buy Draco something, not only because it was expected but because he wanted to, but what to buy? What was a good gift for Christmas? And how was he to know what Draco wanted when he wasn't allowed to ask? Because Christmas gifts were supposed to be a surprise, right? If he asked Draco, then the blond would know what it was he was getting and would thus illiminate the element of surprise. But what if Harry got him the wrong thing? What if he got something useless to Draco or, even worse, something that offended the Malfoy? What if Draco spent a lot of money on his gift while Harry spent too little?

"Harry?" Hermione's voice broke through the dark haired youth's thoughts.

Without word, Harry turned his head very slightly in order to look at the Gryffindor beside him. Once again he was spending a free period with Hermione and while she had been reading, Harry had been writing an essay for Divination, or at least he was supposed to be.

"Is everything all right? You haven't written a word in the last fifteen minutes or so." The girl revealed, her gaze clearly concerned. "Are you struggling? Or is there something else on your mind?"

"I was thinking of the approaching celebrations."

"You mean Christmas? What about it?"

"I am unsure as to what to gift Draco with."

"Have you asked him what he wants?"

Harry frowned lightly in confusion at that. "I was under the impression that Christmas gifts are supposed to be a surprise."

"They don't have to be." Hermione revealed. "In fact, a lot of the time, they aren't. Children often ask for specific gifts from their parents, as do friends. Surprises are nice but they're not mandatory." She paused then to give a reassuring smile. "So if you can't think of anything to get for Draco, you shouldn't feel bad about asking him and then getting him something he's already expecting."

Still, Harry continued to frown, dispite the reassurance. Surprises were nice, Hermione had said those exact words, and he oh so wanted to get his best friend something nice. He also wanted to do things right. It was his first Christmas which he would remember and, more importantly, it was his first Christmas with Draco, he wanted things to be as pleasant and as normal as possible. Although Draco had never complained, Harry was sure the blond missed the normalicy of his life before he got involved with the wizarding world's saviour. Harry was resigned to the fact he would probably never be a "normal" person and was reassured that the fact didn't seem to bother his best friend but it just made him all the more determined to make sure that other elements of his/their life were what could be deemed as normal.

"If you're really determined to get him something unexpected," Hermione continued to speak as if reading Harry's thoughts. "Then we could go into Hogsmeade together tomorrow and I could help you find something. Granted, I don't really know Draco but I could point you in the right sort of direction."

"That would be..." Harry paused then as he struggled to think of the right word to express what he felt. "Most appreciated." He settled on eventually.

"Then that's what we'll do." The Gryffindor said with a firm nod. "If Draco wants to come, by all means let him but just make it clear he'll have to make himself scarce when it actually comes to shopping. Though I imagine he'll appreciate the oppotunity to buy you something as well."

"You think he will buy me something then?"

Hermione turned an amused smile onto Harry. "Considering the way Draco feels about you, I imagine he'll be buying you several, very exspensive somethings."

* * *

13th December 1997: Afternoon 

Harry sat on his bed, his legs crossed, his elbows resting on his knees and his fingers carded in front of his mouth. He was alone in the dorm room, Draco spending time the other Seventh Year Slytherins upon Harry's insistance, and he was glad for the silence, the uninterupted peace. He was allowed to be how he wanted and not have to worry about being questioned on why he was sitting there with his gaze fixed on the form of a very small box which rested on the bed no more than half a foot away from him. As he stared, he could think of only one thing; buying people gifts was an annoying and pointless exercise.

That morning, himself and Hermione and Draco had headed off to Hogsmeade but had split up upon reaching it, Draco going one way while Harry and Hermione went another way. That was when the torture had begun. There were so many different possibilities, so much variety and so much advice from the Gryffindor girl that his head had starting to swim. It was not an experience that Harry wanted to ever experience again. But at least he had it now, he had Draco's gift and that was what mattered. Though now he had to contend with the worry of whether or not his blond friend would like the gift.

Sitting up a little straighter, Harry sighed to himself very lightly. "Life is such a chore." He murmured through the silence. As the silence resummed, knowing green eyes turned onto the slightly ajar door as if expecting to see someone standing there. There was no one there though but the knowing look remained. "And I feel it will only get worse."

* * *

15th December 1997: Morning 

When the students of the Seventh Year DADA class entered their classroom, they were all rather surprised to see the room's change of layout. All the desks and chairs had been pushed to the sides, leaving a wide area clear in the middle and front of the room. Without the presence of Sirius to direct them, everyone was unsure of what to do and so people simply milled around the back of the classroom, around the doorway, whispering among themselves.

"What do you think we're going to be doing today?" Hermione asked quietly and although she didn't say a name, her question was obviously directed to Harry rather than Draco, who stood on Harry's right, or Ron, who stood on Hermione's left.

"Obviously not theory." Draco answered nonetheless as Harry remained completely silent, as though he hadn't even heard the question.

"About bloody time too." Ron grumbled. "I'm sick of doing nothing but sitting down and taking notes."

"Well then today's lesson should suit you right down to the ground, Ron." Sirius' voice suddenly came from behind them and everyone turned to see their teacher enter through the classroom door. "Everyone take a seat at the sides," he instructed them, making little shooing motions with his hands as the students cleared a path for him. "Just perch on the edge of a desk or something for the moment."

People began to slowly do as they were asked. Harry felt a hand take his and wasn't surprised when within seconds he found himself being pulled off to the right hand side of the classroom by Draco. He followed along obediently and easily sat himself on the edge of a desk upon reaching one, something Draco copied immediately after with the one right next to it.

Once everyone was settled down and there was no more fidgeting going on, Sirius, from his position at the front of the classroom, once again began to address the students: "Now, as you're all aware, for the past few weeks we've been concentrating on duelling theories. Theories, however, can only get you so far which is why, today, we'll be doing some practical work."

An excited murmur ran through the class then and the only ones who seemed unphased by the entire thing were Draco and Harry. "I suppose today's lesson will be slightly less boring than usual." The Malfoy murmured to his companion quietly.

"But slightly more tedious." Harry murmured in reply as Sirius began to speak again.

"True," Draco agreed quietly. "After all, we hardly need practice when it comes to duelling, especially not you. Does seem like a bit of a waste of time."

"If we partner together we can at least fake it.'

Draco smirked at that. "Fifteenth of December 1997; Harry suggests dishonesty in order to get out of school work for the first time."

Harry would've made a reply to that if not for the fact it was then he noticed that the majority of the class were looking in his and Draco's direction. His words died in his throat and he turned his attention to his godfather. "Yes?"

"Please try not to zone out in my class, makes me feel like I'm awfully dull." Sirius said lightly, having obviously missed the fact that his godson and Draco had been conversing quietly. "I just told the class that you're going to help me with a short demonstration before everyone gets started."

"I would prefer not to." Was Harry's immediate reply to that.

"Too bad, up you come." Sirius said cheerfully, making an encouraging gesture.

"A demonstration is unnecessary and no doubt simply an oppotunity for you to display your own skills and attempt to impress the..."

"Don't argue with me, Harry," the man warned easily though there was a definite warning in his voice. "I'm your professor and I'm telling you to do something so you're going to do it."

For what seemed like the longest time, Harry didn't move or react. Just when everyone was thinking that they were about to see a showdown between their saviour and his godfather, the tension was lessened when the dark haired youth stood with a quiet, "yes Sir."

The silence resumed as Harry made his way to the front of the class, coming to stand on the opposite side of the room to where the DADA professor stood. Now apparently in a better mood, Sirius smiled and clapped his hands together. "All right, now the object of the exercise you'll all be trying will be nothing more than to make your opponant lose his or her wand, either by making them drop it or by stealing it. There'll be no time limit. Now, on the count of three, Harry and I will demonstrate what you should be aiming for." Sirius grinned as he took up a dueling stance. "Miss Granger, if you could perhaps be kind enough to count us in."

Hermione seemed a little put out to be called on but did as asked nonetheless. "One, two, three."

Sirius wasted no time. The words were barely out of Hermione's mouth before he had pointed his wand and cast his charm: "Expelliarmus."

The magic shot from the tip of the wand and raced towards Harry who was making no sign or effort to defend himself. Everyone watched with bated breath as Harry continued to just stand there until the very last second. Then, just as the spell was about to hit him, he raised his wand and made an odd sort of gesture as though he was about the chuck the length of wood away from himself. He kept hold of it though and much to the surprise of everyone, Sirius' spell seemed to react to the movement and the light suddenly changed direction, shooting off harmlessly to a corner on the right.

Harry raised his wand again once the magic had faded but pointed it towards his opponant. "Accio Sirius Black's wand." He said in his usual tone, thrusting his wand in a neat, graceful movement.

With a swift jerk, Sirius' wand freed itself of his grip and sailed over to the Slytherin. It was caught with Harry's free hand before he then turned and moved away from the front of the classroom. He placed the seized wand down on the professor's desk before moving back over to the side of the classroom where he took his own seat next to Draco again. The room was completely quiet and an odd sort of tension hung in the air once again, the source of it coming from their teacher which in turn made everyone feel rather uneasy with the situation.

"Why," Sirius began slowly, obviously struggling to maintain his patient attitude. "Must you make things such a struggle, Harry? Why couldn't you have just done what I asked?"

"I did." Harry replied tonelessly.

"No, you didn't. You used a blocking technique which we haven't even covered yet and so turned what should have been a duel into nothing more than an embarrassment!"

"You did not specify that there would be restrictions on the spells which could be used. The objective you set was to retrieve the opponant's wand; that is what I have done. Do not shift the blame onto another when you are the one at fault."

The class watched, not even daring to breathe in case the broke the atmosphere, as Sirius was pushed ever closer to the edge by his godson. Harry, on the other hand, was the complete opposite of their professor. He simply sat in his seat calmly, his gaze fixed on the front of the room, away from his godfather.

Sirius closed his eyes, took in a few deep breaths and pinched the bridge of his nose. Everyone continued to watch as he calmed himself and practically leaned forward in anticipation when he opened his mouth and spoke: "You will stay behind after class, Harry, and we will discuss your behaviour then."

Harry made no sign he had even heard but his godfather left it at that. With a sigh, the class continued and Harry was left to himself until the very end.

* * *

15th December 1997: Midday 

When Harry left the DADA classroom finally, he was immediately pounced on by not only Draco but Hermione as well. Both had been standing in the corridor outside, waiting for him in silence. When they saw him, they pushed away from the wall but didn't immediately start asking questions oddly. It was clear they wanted to but for some reason were holding back. Harry allowed the silence to linger; he was in no hurry to speak.

Eventually it was Hermione who quietly broke the silence. "How did it go?"

"You did not hear the shouts for yourself?" Harry asked in his usual monotone.

"A silencing charm perhaps." The girl suggested rather weakly.

"Perhaps."

"What did he say?" Draco questioned, coming to stand beside his best friend.

"I think his true intent was much more behind his words rather than the words themselves. He did not need to say it, but I am a disappointment to him, to Remus as well. I do not think they even particularly like me." Harry murmured, his voice holding no emotion which made it impossible to decifer exactly how he felt about the fact he was an apparent disappointment. "Perhaps it would be best if I were no longer a part of their lives."

"I'm inclined to agree." The blond replied easily.

"Malfoy!" Hermione admonished, sending him a stern look.

"Oh c'mon Granger, you can see for yourself how mismatched their personalities are and if cutting them out of Harry's life takes some worry off of his shoulders then I don't see why he doesn't." The Malfoy replied, explaining his reasoning.

"They're the only link he has to his parents."

"And that's a reason to suffer the guilt they make him needlessly feel?"

"They're the closest thing to family he has left!"

"I'm his family."

"It's not the same and you know..."

Harry tuned out the continued debate between Hermione and Draco then. Listening to them was simply confusing and was rapidly giving him a headache. He would make no immediate decisions on the matter and instead see how things played out. He was in no rush and there was no real need to rush.

As he continued to walk along silently with his two friends who still argued between themselves, he felt eyes on the back of his head. Harry turned his head to look and saw Crabbe and Goyle standing not too far off, underneath the arch of a doorway, both looking over to him and Draco and Hermione rather intently. They both nodded to Harry when they noticed he was returning their gaze but Harry ignored it and simply turned back to look ahead of himself. He had enough to think about without considering the two of them.

* * *

16th December 1997: Evening 

Harry couldn't deny that as he sat at his usual seat at the Slytherin table, waiting for dinner to be served, his mood felt darker than it usually did. It had been a trying day, with Sirius giving him the cold shoulder whenever the oppotunity arose and then Remus asking him to stay behind after the DADA class to inquire as to what had happened between him and his godfather. It had all been very trying and the Wizarding world's saviour had found his patience, which had previously seemed infinite, had started to wear rather thin. Draco seemed to have picked up on it though and was doing the considerate (and wise) thing of simply leaving Harry alone.

The food finally arrived then and everyone seemed to dive for everything all at the same time. Harry's below average mood was affecting his appetite and so he decided to simply settle on soup which he ladled out of a large serving dish into his own bowl. Beside him, Draco was spooning out some mashed potatoes while having a conversation with Crabbe about something. A tinkling sound drew the green eyes away from the conversing young men down to the ground where he saw that someone further down the table had dropped a fork and was in the process of leaning back to retrieve it from the floor. With his curiosity satisfied, Harry turned back to his bowl, noticing that Goyle, beside him, was already tucking into the absolute mountain of food he had put on his plate.

Harry picked up his spoon and dipped it into his soup before lifting it to his mouth, fighting back a sigh the entire time. He really didn't feel like eating but he had experienced the consequences of skipping meals and he wasn't in a rush to repeat the experience. So, reluctantly, the spoon passed his lips and the soup entered his mouth...

...And then he froze.

About five seconds of nothing from Harry passed. He simply sat completely still, the spoon still in his mouth, his expression as neutral as always. Then, slowly, he brought the spoon out of his mouth and looked down at it in his hand before he carefully set it back down onto the table.

"Something wrong, Harry?" Millicent asked upon noticing the young man's strange behaviour, drawing attention from the other Seventh Year Slytherins.

"If you will excuse me." Was all Harry said in answer to that as he stood and left without further word. Draco was up and following him within seconds.

The two Slytherins left the Great Hall apparently calm and untroubled and most students failed to give even a second glance to their retreating forms. It was doubtful Harry would've noticed even if it were different. As always, he appeared neutral, calm, on the outside but his heart was pounding in his chest and if ever he felt the need to hyperventilate, that was the moment. When he was several feet away from the doors of the Great Hall, he found he had to come to a stop as his ears began to ring and his vision clouded slightly.

"Harry?" Draco said carefully, slowly coming up behind the stoic youth's back. "Is something the matter?"

"Tell me Draco," Harry practically whispered, his tone soft and emotionless, seemingly even more so than normal. "Have you eaten yet?"

"What? Just now? No, I'd only just finished filling my plate when you got up and left so abruptly."

"Good." Harry breathed. "I would have hated to die knowing that you were going to follow me so quickly."

Draco said nothing to that and felt his blood freeze as his heart almost stop; die?

"I have apparently allowed my guard to drop in the wrong company. A careless mistake to make when the children of Death Eaters have access to all areas of the school, including the kitchens."

And suddenly Draco realised what was happening and his heart almost burst from his chest as a sudden spike of fear stabbed at him. His eyes widened and in an instant he had rushed forward, closing the gap between him and Harry and had the smaller form in his arms. With one hand he held the head of dark hair steady while the other hand came up to the youth's mouth so he could unceremoniously shove two fingers down his best friend's throat. "Harry, vomit! Everything you ate, throw it back up!"

Harry gagged around the fingers in his mouth and he sagged in Draco's arms as he was bent over so all that he had eaten that day could leave his stomach and splatter harmlessly to the floor. When the saviour's legs gave way beneath him, the blond followed him down, keeping his fingers in the others' mouth regardless of what his hand was being covered in. Only when there was nothing more than saliva hitting his hand did Draco finally remove it. As if on cue, Harry slumped forward weakly but the Malfoy was able to save him from falling on the floor now that he had his other arm free to catch him with.

"Dra..." Harry whispered weakly, his voice faultering after just that one syllable.

"Sshh," Draco immediately soothed him as he ran the fingers of his clean hand through the strands of dark hair a few times before clutching the slight, trembling frame close to his body. "Don't try and speak, just conserve your energy. It's going to be all right, you'll be fine."

"Draco," Hermione's voice came from behind then and the blond in question glanced over his shoulder to see the Gryffindor standing in the slight gap between the partly open doors of the Great Hall.

"Stop the Slytherins from eating any more food and tell Madam Pomfrey that Harry's been poisoned. I'm taking him up to the Infirmary." He explained briskly as he hefted the semi-conscious form of Harry up into his arms and then over his shoulder.

Hermione didn't linger to ask if everything was going to be all right or to check anything else, she simply disappeared back into the Great Hall with a speed born of intense urgency. It was with a similar pace that Draco turned and began to half walk, half jog through the school's corridors, intent on getting the young man he loved settled on an Infirmary bed to await the medical attention needed to save his life.

* * *

16th December 1997: Late Night

Waking up was not a happy time for Harry when he started to come around after the drama of the previous dinner. He felt weak, disorientated, sickly and more than a little confused. It hurt to open his eyes and so he kept them shut. When he tried to speak, little more than a croak escaped him but it seemed to be enough to get attention as a second later, his right hand had been grabbed. It was then that he realised how cold he felt as the two hands gripping his own were so blissfully warming.

"Madam Pomfrey!" The voice of Draco yelled and it was then that Harry knew who it was with him.

Carefully, Harry opened his eyes once again though only very slightly. Through his partial vision, he saw his best friend looking down on him, an expression somewhere between relief and intense worry on his face. "Draco..." He breathed, the name coming out as less of a croak but still sounding awfully weak.

"It's all right Harry, you're going to be all right." The blond murmured in reply, pressing brief but firm kisses on the hand he held so tightly.

"My body feels strange." Harry noted quietly.

"Don't worry, Madam Pomfrey will make you feel better."

It was at that reassurance that the sharp clicking of high-heels on the hard floor reached the two young men and they turned their gazes to see the stern medi-witch heading their way. Harry turned his gaze away soon after seeing the woman. He remembered the last time he had interacted with her and he wasn't looking forward to the examination he was sure was about to come.

"Awake and alert then Mr Potter?" Madam Pomfrey asked briskly as she reached the bedside.

"Yes." Was Harry's softly spoken answer as he stared straight up at the ceiling above.

"Good. How do you feel?"

"Strange."

"Care to elborate?"

Harry made no answer to that. He couldn't be bothered to elaborate but he knew better than to actually say that. Draco glanced from the irritated woman to his best friend before leaning in closer to the sickly young man. "She can't help you if you don't talk to her, Harry." He told him gently.

Harry gave an almost inaudiable sigh and continued to stare up at the ceiling but spoke nonetheless. "I feel weak and disorientated and I cannot remember much of what no doubt happened when I left the Great Hall. The light is hurting my eyes though not quite as much as when I first woke. I feel cold as well."

Madam Pomfrey nodded wisely as he explained himself. "Yes, those are the side-effects Snape said would no doubt occur. You're quite lucky Mr Potter," the woman said briskly. "We were able to contact Severus Snape and get the spoon to him quickly; it was the spoon which had been coated in the poison, the food was fine. He was able to identify that the poison used was botched or at least incomplete. If it hadn't been for that and the fact Mr Malfoy was quick enough to make you vomit most of it up, you'd most probably be dead now. As it is, you'll just be very sickly for a while. You'll no doubt be back to full health by the time term starts again in the new year but I don't think you can expect to have much fun over Christmas."

"Just as well we got all our Christmas shopping done last Saturday." Draco sighed, still holding Harry's right hand in both of his own.

"There's very little else which can be done except to rest as much as possible." The medi-witch said as though the blond had never spoken. "So, that is what you'll do Mr Potter. I don't want to see you leave this bed for anything except to use the bathroom and then you will have someone help you. I'll come in and check on you every other hour or so. I suggest you sleep now, so Mr Malfoy," she turned her attention onto Draco. "I think it's time you returned to your dorm room."

"No." Harry spoke immediately, finally turning his gaze back onto the medi-witch. "I wish for Draco to stay."

Madam Pomfrey looked as though she was preparing for an argument when, quite suddenly, the will seemed to leave her. Her expression softened and she gave an exasperated sigh. "Very well," she practically huffed. "But if I come back in and find that you're keeping him awake then you will be out of here before you can blink." And with that threat made, the woman turned and swiftly made an exit.

It was only when they were completely alone again that the silence was broken, surprisingly, by Harry. "My apologies," he murmured as he closed his eyes tiredly. "It seems I will not be able to accompany you to the Yule Ball."

"Doesn't bother me in the least." Draco reassured, leaning down and resting his forehead against Harry's. "It just means we can spend the night alone instead of under the watchful gaze of the rest of the student population."

"That is not necessary, there is no reason why you should not still go and enjoy yourself."

The blond smiled lightly in amusement before placing a light kiss on the pale nose, causing Harry to open his eyes again. "I wouldn't have any fun without you, especially knowing you were here. I'll enjoy myself much more sitting with you, having a calm and relaxing evening together."

Harry didn't reply to that but instead tilted his head up slightly and pressed his lips to Draco's, initiating a kiss for the very first time. It was a brief kiss if only because the poisoned youth found he didn't have the strength to keep his head up but it was enough for the blond. Upon their separation, Draco positively beamed at the young man beneath him before leaning down and pressing a kiss of his own to the other's lips. That kiss, too, was brief as Harry was hardly in a condition to be snogged and once they parted again, the Malfoy sat on the edge of the bed before swinging his legs up and laying down beside the saviour.

"I love you so much." He murmured gently as he wrapped his arms comfortable around Harry.

As always, Harry made no reply to that but instead simply cuddled up to his blond. A kiss was pressed to his forehead as he allowed his eyes to close tiredly. Before long, he had drifted off to sleep.

* * *

End of Chapter 7.  
O.o  
I believe that little face sums up my feelings pretty well. Just a bit of info for ya, the poisoning scene was actually the first scene I thought of for this sequel and the reason I decided I had to write it. Yep, I like that scene, one of the best things I've ever come up with I think.  
That's me all done for another chapter. Remember that updates are now weekly so I'll see you all next Saturday.

Hugs  
Dream


	8. 17th Dec to 19th Dec 1997

Hi everyone :)

Thank you to everyone who reviewed as always, I'm glad that so many of you enjoyed the previous chapter :)  
Right...I have nothing more to say for now so I'll just let you get on with the chapter.

* * *

17th December 1997: Morning

The next time Harry woke, the sun was up and it was time for breakfast. However, Madam Pomfrey said he was still too fragile for food and so he was left alone as Draco left to eat in the Great Hall. The night had been pleasant and Harry had been comforted by his best friend's body beside him as he slept. It had made things seem less scary and intense. With his eyes closed, Harry found he could pretend that he was down in his dorm room, just spending a normal night with Draco and not recovering from being poisoned.

So, with Draco gone for a good few hours (there was still a full day of classes after all) and with nothing else to do, Harry had settled back down and promptly fallen asleep again. He had only been asleep for fifteen minutes or so, however, when he was pulled from it.

"Harry?" Sirius' voice came then and the youth in question tiredly blinked open his eyes to see his godfather and Remus standing just next to his bed. "Oh Merlin, Harry!" The man almost sobbed upon seeing the green of Harry's irises and a second later, the ill young man was clutched to his chest tightly. "I'm sorry, I'm so, so sorry."

It seemed to take a couple of seconds for the man's words to register in Harry's mind because it took him a moment to reply. "Why are you apologising?"

"For yesterday, for the day before that and the day before that, for everything." Sirius rambled and he continued to clutch his godson to him. "I'm sorry for the things I said, I'm sorry for the way I've treated you, I'm sorry I wasn't more understanding..."

"Sirius, calm down," Remus soothed gently, resting a hand on his partner's shoulder. "Give Harry some space, he's still very fragile at the moment."

Sirius flinched away from Harry then as if the stoic youth had smacked him or something. He swept his eyes over his godson, checking that he hadn't accidently caused any damage before pulling the young man into a more sedate embrace. "I thought we were going to lose you." He murmured into the head of dark hair. "After only just getting you back, I thought I was going to lose you again."

"I am not so easy to get rid of." Harry murmured, not meaning his comment to be taken as any more than what it was; a statement of fact.

Sirius seemed rather amused by it though and he gave a light, slightly quivering laugh. "That's the spirit." He encouraged, giving his godson's shoulders a squeeze.

Harry ignored the squeeze completely and flickered his gaze onto Remus. "Are there any suspects yet?"

The disposition of both men seemed to darken then. "No, not yet." The Potions professor sighed, sounding both angry and disappointed with that fact.

"None of the house-elves were put up to it so whoever's responsible did it when in the Great Hall." Sirius revealed. "Do you remember seeing anything? Did you notice anyone acting suspiciously?"

"I saw nothing," Harry murmured. "Except for a student dropping their fork..." He paused then and both of the adults thought for a moment that the youth had a suspicion he was about to speak. However, Harry eventually ended his sentence with a mere, "no doubt it was just a coincidence."

That seemed to be enough for Sirius and Remus and they moved the conversation onto more relaxed and less taxing subject. Harry, however, only half listened to it as his mind was elsewhere, thinking on what had happened, lingering on a nagging little niggle which continued to make itself known at the back of his mind.

* * *

17th December 1997: Midday

The next time Harry got visitors was when lunch time rolled around. Draco returned but he was not alone and instead was in the company of not only Hermione but Ron as well. Harry watched them approach silently from his bed, privately glad they had arrived then as it was a distraction from the lunch Madam Pomfrey had recommended/ordered he eat.

"Oh Harry, thank Merlin you're all right!" Hermione gasped as she rushed over to him. For a moment it seemed as if she was about to embrace him but she restrained herself and settled for instead looking at the young man with anxious eyes. "How are you feeling?"

"Ill." Was Harry's answer to that.

"You should ask Madam Pomfrey if she's got anything to help with that." Ron suggested as Draco passed both Gryffindors by in favour of perching on the edge of the bed beside his fellow Slytherin.

"I will not ask that woman for anything."

"Have Black and Lupin come to see you yet?" Draco quickly asked, not wanting a huge debate on the subject of Madam Pomfrey to arise.

Harry gave a single nod in answer.

"Did you ask them whether there are any suspects yet?" The blond continued to press.

"They suspect no one." Harry murmured. "However, the house-elves have been questioned and none of them were ordered to plant the spoon which suggests that it was done during the meal rather than before."

"So it was a Slytherin." Ron guessed then. "Can't say I'm surprised, who else was it going to be?"

"If you want to stay, I suggest you shut up." Draco warned with a glare in the ginger haired young man's direction before he returned his attention to Harry. "Did anyone see anything?"

"I do not know if students are being questioned."

"The only ones who might've seen anything would be other Slytherins and they're not gonna snitch on one of their own when the victim is they guy who killed their boss." Ron spoke up again.

"Not every Slytherin supported the Dark Lord." Draco pointed out, clearly trying to keep his tone controlled.

"Well I suppose you would know, considering you were one of those who did."

Draco stood up then, a hard look on his face, but before he could start yelling or anything of the sort, Harry's voice broke through to them both. "If you continue to argue then you will leave; I have no patience for such small-minded views."

"Honestly Ron," Hermione said with a quiet anger. "Can't you control what you say for even ten minutes?" As Ron immediately looked sheepish, the girl turned her attention back to Harry. "We really only came to check you were all right, so would you like us to go now?"

"I think, perhaps, that would be best and maybe return when my spirit has lightened." Harry agreed.

"All right then, we'll see you tomorrow." She smiled before turning, grabbing Ron's arm and leading him away.

Now left alone, Draco sat himself back down on the bed beside Harry, curling an arm around the smaller form. "I know you said you still feel ill, but are you feeling better than you were when I left you this morning?"

"I feel very much the same as I did this morning."

"Is that why you haven't touched your lunch?" The blond queried, noticing the still-full tray resting on Harry's lap.

"Yes."

"Eating some might make you feel better."

"It may also make me feel worse."

Draco couldn't help but chuckle at that. "Always so optimistic." He grinned teasingly before his expression changed into his version of a cute pout. "Please eat something Harry, for me."

Harry looked to his friend. "Your expression is ridiculous."

Once again, the blond laughed. "I'm sure it was. Seriously though Harry," he sobered up then. "You really should try and eat something, especially if Madam Pomfrey wants you to."

Harry looked away from the blond then to stare off to the side. A light sigh eventually passed his lips before he took up the spoon and scooped up some of the light soup which was his lunch. He couldn't deny the slight spike of anxiety he felt at the initial insertion of the spoon into his mouth but when he tasted nothing but the soup, he instantly started to calm down. Although the soup was not unpleasant in taste, Harry didn't enjoy it as he swallowed thickly and felt the rush of warmth which travelled down his throat and settled in his stomach.

Somehow, the unpleasantness of eating seemed to fade considerably when a kiss was pressed to the side of his head before Draco whispered two simple words in his ear: "Good boy."

* * *

18th December 1997: Evening

The night of the Yule Ball had arrived but instead of being with the rest of the school's population in the Great Hall, Draco and Harry were sat in the Infirmary with a chess board in between them. They were, unsurprisingly, alone, even of Madam Pomfrey who was helping to supervise the ball and so everything was a little too quiet for Draco at least. Conversation was hard to start though, mostly because Harry was so hard to keep a conversation with. So, due to the silence, when the sound of opening doors broke the hush, it seemed incredibly loud and both young men glanced up to see who it was.

"Tore yourself away from all the fun then, Weasel?" He murmured, turning back to the chess board after seeing it was only Hermione and Ron entering.

"That's hardly any of your business considering we're not here to see you, Malfoy." Ron returned easily, obviously mellowed out by the fact he had a very pretty Hermione walking beside him.

"We thought you might be a little bored all on your own up here." The girl revealed to Harry as she and her fellow Gryffindor came to a stop by the bed.

"Your concern is unnecessary." Harry replied simply as he reached out to the board and moved a piece. "Checkmate." He murmured.

Draco gave a sound of good-natured frustration. "I don't know why I ever taught you to play this." He grumbled lightly. "I'm not sure I can stomach another beating."

"I'll play." Ron offered confidently at that.

Draco gave the ginger haired Gryffindor a raised eyebrow. "You sure you want to Weasley? Harry's good."

"Good, it's been too long since I've had a decent challenge." The Gryffindor said confidently as he took the seat beside Harry's bed. "White or black?" He offered the sickly youth.

"I have no preference." Was Harry's quiet reply to that as he reorganised the pieces on the board.

"I'll take advantage of that generosity and pick white then."

"Ron, that's very unsportsman like." Hermione chided him lightly.

"It does not matter," Harry replied to that. "As I said, I have no preference."

"See," Ron said. "It's not unsportsman-like if the opponent doesn't care." And without further word, he turned his eyes onto the chessboard and began to contemplate his first move.

Draco and Hermione watched silently for a few minutes, seeing Ron make his first move which was almost instantly followed by Harry's. Then, as the Gryffindor began to think of his next move, Hermione turned her gaze onto Draco. "Is he really that good?" She asked quietly.

"Well, I'll put it like this," the blond said, his own eyes not straying from the board as he watched Ron make his second move and was once again followed by Harry's second almost immediately. "I've been playing chess ever since I can remember. It's been five months since I first taught Harry how to play. It's been four and a half months since the last time I won against him."

"He's only been playing for five months and he's already that good?"

"It's because he plans ahead, he can predict his opponent's moves almost precisely. If I thought Divination was at all possible, I'd think he was somehow seeing into the future."

"Maybe that's just because he's only ever played against you. Perhaps you simply have a predictable style that you're unaware of."

Draco shook his head at that. "No, that isn't it. It's because he's smart, so smart that he's thought of every possible situation and planned a counter attack for each one."

As if on cue, the soft voice of Harry interrupted them then. "Checkmate."

"What!" Ron cried, aghast, just as Draco and Hermione turned their attention back onto the players. "That's impossible! I've only made eight moves!" Indeed, barely any of the pieces on either side had been touched let alone moved.

"I told you he was good." Draco said, smirking as though it was himself who had just beaten the Gryffindor so badly.

"I want a rematch." Ron immediately demanded.

"As you wish." Harry murmured and reset the pieces.

As Ron and Harry began another game, Hermione and Draco resumed watching. However, not long passed before Hermione was speaking again.

"I wonder what his IQ is." She mused out loud.

"His what?" Draco asked with a light frown of confusion.

"It's a scale Muggles use to judge how smart a person is; the higher the number, the smarter you are. There are tests which are designed to score you an IQ, I'm sure I could get some from the library while I'm at home for Christmas but, do you think Harry would take them?" The girl inquired quietly so she wasn't over-heard.

"He might, he might not." The Malfoy shrugged carelessly. After all, why should he even be bothered with some sort of Muggle system?

"I might look into it then." Hermione murmured, mostly to herself.

Just then, Harry's soft voice spoke again. "Checkmate."

* * *

19th December 1997: Morning

When the day came for the students to leave Hogwarts and return to their homes for Christmas, Harry was making a trip of his own though not nearly so far. Madam Pomfrey had finally deemed him fit enough to leave the Infirmary (something both the woman and young man had been relieved of), and so, with the help of Draco, he was making his way through the corridors of Hogwarts, down to the dungeons to settle back in their dorm room. With both Crabbe and Goyle returning to family members (those who weren't in Azkaban for Death Eater charges anyway), the two young men would have their dorm room completely to themselves which was something which could only help Harry's recovery. Bulstrode and Parkinson were also returning to the families they had left so Draco and Harry were to be pretty much left to themselves completely unless they dared to leave the dungeons.

Already that morning had Ron and Hermione said their goodbyes to him and wished a happy Christmas, to Harry at least. The dark haired youth thought that the two Gryffindors were simply using him as an excuse to spend time together. What with Hermione being his friend and Ron being a sort of friend since the first Quidditch match of the year, both had a common interest in the Wizarding world's saviour and, despite going to the Yule Ball together, they were still ridiculously shy when it came to the other and they obviously felt they needed the excuse to be around each other. Harry thought it rather curious. Odd, but curious.

"Oh well," Draco sighed as he helped Harry along slowly. "It won't be the Christmas we were planning but I don't think it'll be worse for it."

"Your mother was disappointed." Harry murmured in reply, referring to the fact that he and Draco had originally planned to spend Christmas at Malfoy manor. However, Madam Pomfrey had deemed him too ill to travel as so they were stuck at Hogwarts.

"She'll get over it, I'm sure." The blond responded to that, not sounding in the least bothered. "In a way, I'm rather glad this is how things worked out. Means we get to spend more time together, just the two of us."

"We have spent the past two days in each other's company almost constantly."

"In the Infirmary though, hardly the nicest setting in the world. And besides, you were poorly. Now you're getting better, we aren't restricted to the activities of sleeping and playing chess. As soon as you're fit enough, I'm taking you outside so you can play in the snow."

"I am not a child."

"Everyone in Britain must play in the snow at least once in their lives," Draco declared as though to not was a punishable offence. "Most of us get it out of the way when we're young. You didn't have the opportunity, so you'll do it now."

"Do I do not get to have an opinion?"

"Not this time. This time, you will be a good boy and you will do what I say because I know what's best for you."

"Going outside and getting cold and wet is what is best for me?" Harry asked sceptically, though his protest was meaningless; he knew he'd give in and go outside whenever Draco made the decision that it was time to.

"Yes it is," the blond confirmed with a grin before leaning over and kissing Harry's cheek. "Because, after all, there's always warming up afterwards to look forward to."

* * *

End of Chapter 8.  
Gah, this chapter is so woefully short, I know, but there was only so much I wanted to happen in it. Originally, it was joined with next chapter but that made it ridiculously long so I had to split it and this was the best place to do it in. But, to make up for it, there's some lemony/smutty goodness in the chapter. They don't go all the way, but they do something :D  
Since I have some extra space to talk considering the chapter was short, I have another question to ask you all. As you all know, I'm dangerously close to giving up on the Harry Potter fandom. However, inspiration has kinda struck and I have an idea for a possible story. Problem is, the pairing's rather uncommon and I wanted to get your opinions on it. So, what do people think of a Fenrir Greyback/Harry fic? For it, against it, or at least willing to try it? I ask because I want to limit the number of you, my readers, who I alienate. Although I love writing more than anything, it's all of you and your comments and encouragement which makes writing fanfiction so satisfying and I want to continue to please as many of you as possible. If there are a lot of you who are really set against it, I'll probably abandon the idea and try my best to come up with something else.  
I've talked far too much now. I'll say goodbye and I'll see you all again next week.

Hugs  
Dream


	9. 25th December 1997

Hi everyone :)

Wow, I'm completely touched! Why, you may ask? Because so many of you said you'd be willing to try and Fenrir/Harry story if I was the one who wrote it. Everytime someone told me that, my heart swelled with warmth just that little bit more, so thank you everyone who voiced their support :) And also thank you to everyone else who reviewed and who gave me their opinions.  
Now, why am I updating on a Friday, I hear you ask? It's because I have a busy day ahead of me tomorrow and I won't have time to update. So instead of making you all wait an extra day, I thought I'd give you this chapter a day early. I'm nice like that XD  
Let's get on with the story now and I'll talk more at the bottom.

* * *

25th December 1997: Morning 

Harry woke slowly, his consciousness slowly melting into him, bringing him the knowledge that he felt better at that moment than he had since the entire poison fiasco. He felt stronger, more willing to get out of bed, more able to get out of bed. It was a relief to say the least, he had been starting to worry whether or not he was ever going to get better.

As a little more awareness sunk in he noticed the sensation of someone watching him. Upon flickering open his eyes, he discovered that it was unsurprisingly Draco, propped up on an elbow and gazing down at him with soft eyes. When he saw his bed partner was awake, the blond leaned down and pressed a light, lingering kiss to Harry's forehead. "Merry Christmas." He murmured, a smile spreading across his lips.

"Merry Christmas." Harry returned quietly, his lips providing the only movement and that was barely anything. "Have you been awake long?"

Draco shook his head. "No, not really. You looked so peaceful that I didn't have the heart to wake you, thought you might appreciate the extra sleep as well." He revealed, answering the question which had been on the tip of Harry's tongue. A slow, wide grin spread across the Malfoy's face once he had said that. "And now you're awake, we must open presents!"

Harry, admittedly, felt a small spark of amusement as his best friend all but fell out of the bed in his obvious excitement. The stoic youth's movements were much more controlled as he got out of the bed, shuffling his legs out from under the duvet and over the side of the mattress so he could get onto his feet. He then made his way over to the bed he never slept in anymore but where his trunk of possessions still rested at its feet. A couple of moments later and the two Slytherins were back on Draco's bed, sitting on the edge close together, thighs touching, ready to exchange the gifts they had bought for each other.

"You have to open my presents first." Draco insisted enthusiastically, holding the gifts out in offering.

"Very well." Harry consented, accepting the three items and settling them down on the bed next to himself. He simply started with the present which was on top of the small pile and set about unwrapping it, taking care not to rip any of the paper as though to do so would be a great insult to Draco.

The first gift was an Everlast quill as over the past six months, Harry had displayed an uncanny ability to break the tip of every quill he set to paper. The second gift was a large assortment of various different types of tea, no doubt because tea seemed to be the only edible thing Harry didn't think that consuming was an unpleasant chore to endure. The third and final gift was a selection of around half a dozen books, the subjects of which ranged from techniques of developing wandless magic all the way to an examination of all the evidence supporting and arguing the existence of true divination.

Each gift was practical, each was something Harry could use and for that he was grateful as he had been wary of the idea that he would be saddled with useless trinkets or a mountain of sweets if the shop windows in Hogsmeade were anything to judge by. He knew he should've known better really. Who knew him better than Draco? The Malfoy knew what Harry liked, what he didn't like and so, naturally, knew that anything which didn't serve a purpose would not be well received.

"Thank you." Harry murmured once all his presents were open, a small smile curving his lips.

"You're very welcome." Draco smiled in return, leaning forward and brushing his lips against the other young man's in the barest hint of a kiss. In a moment he was away again and smiling brightly at his best friend. "If you find you like the teas, I'll give you the address of the place I got them from and you can order some more."

Harry simply nodded to that before he brought forward the presents he had bought for Draco. "I have two gifts for you." He explained softly. "Neither are very much, but I hope they are things you will...Appreciate." He handed them over then, keeping his gaze lowered to the ground. "I must confess that I did not wrap them myself, Hermione did me the favour."

"Doesn't matter, it's only wrapping." Draco said brightly as he pulled open the decorative paper which surrounded the larger of the two gifts, not with as much care as Harry previously had but not ripping into it either. "Ah, expensive chocolates; always appreciated." He grinned as he saw a box of his favourite sweets beneath the wrapping. "My mother told you to order these for me, didn't she?"

"Yes. I had already bought you a present when she sent me the letter which suggested them. I thought perhaps that they would be a suitable second gift so that you might not be completely disappointed should your main gift fail to impress you."

"You give yourself far too little credit." The blond chided lightly as he nudged the smaller youth with his elbow. "I'm sure I'm going to love whatever it is that you got me for a main gift." And with that, the Malfoy took up the small box and began to carefully peel back the wrapping paper.

There was a very definite degree of anxiety bubbling inside Harry as he watched Draco unwrap the small box which contained the gift. An eternity seemed to pass before the Malfoy had finally removed the wrapping paper and lifted off the lid of the box. Green eyes watched intently as the blond seemed pleased with the sight of a masculine ring, pewter claws clutching a small circle of glass in place over a deep crimson liquid inside. Obviously intrigued, Draco brought it much closer to his eyes so he could get a proper look at it. Upon doing so however, he seemed to come to a realisation which confused him as a slight frown creased his forehead as he lowered the ring and glanced to Harry.

"Blood?" He asked, referring to the liquid inside the ring.

"My blood." Harry said simply.

Draco's eyes widened considerably at that as he floundered over what to say. "But...Why...You do know what giving someone a ring of your blood means, right?"

"I know what it means." Harry assured simply as he took the ring, which was in fact a traditional bonding ring, from Draco's hands. "I have already told you before that you are my purpose, my blood merely reaffirms that which I have already promised you; as long as I am alive, I will stand by your side." As he said that, he easily took the blond's left hand and slipped the ring onto his third finger.

Draco's eyes grew suspiciously misty as he glanced down at his left hand. He brought it to himself as he reached his right hand out to Harry and cupped the pale cheek tenderly. "I love you so much." He whispered.

Harry met his gaze before he replied with his own declaration. "As I love you."

It was the first time he had spoken the words and both young men knew it. Draco's eyes grew mistier but his face lit up in delight. He quickly put his gifts to one side before reaching out to Harry, yanking him towards himself and then holding him in a tight embrace. Harry brought his arms around the blond in return, his heart feeling light at his declaration and the knowledge that it had made his best friend so happy. When the hug was loosened slightly, it was only so they could pull away enough to come face to face before they drew closer again, coming together for a kiss.

Their lips met and Harry couldn't deny he was shocked when the contact felt like it sent a bolt of electricity shooting through him. He gasped from the sensation and that seemed to turn what had supposed to have been a simple little kiss into something much more passionate and sensual. Tongues met and duelled, teeth collided and lips were bruised with the sudden desperate need to get ever closer. Draco abruptly grabbed the smaller teenager around his waist and hauled the form onto his lap so the dark haired youth was straddling his lap. Harry didn't resist, he didn't have the sense to resist, and instead encouraged the treatment as he clutched at the Malfoy's robes as strong arms crushed him to the aristocrat's chest. Not once did their kiss falter, they remained connected, driven by the sudden need to feel closer, to be closer.

A sudden pleasure struck both youths as their groins suddenly ground together and it was at that moment that their kiss broke abruptly. Both pulled away panting and it was Draco who spoke first: "Harry, maybe we should stop..."

"No." Harry interrupted abruptly.

The blond paused and looked straight into the green eyes directly in front of him. "No?" He echoed.

"No." Harry repeated with a quiet confidence.

That single word seemed to be enough to spur the Malfoy back into movement. In an instant, Draco had brought Harry's body closer as he practically attacked the smaller youth's mouth, nipping at the bottom lip sharply before he mapped out every tooth and angle with his tongue. Eventually, the blond left Harry's mouth and instead attached himself to the slope of the pale neck. "Are you sure?" He rasped and Harry idly thought he had never heard Draco use such a voice before. He sounded so rough, so strained.

It took a second for Harry to find his voice, but as soon as he had, he spoke his answer with complete surety though his voice wavered, more through arousal than apprehension: "I am." He panted softly. "Very sure."

Draco eased his weight onto Harry then, forcing his friend to lay down on the bed. When he was, the Malfoy lay flush over him so their bodies were aligned, before teasing them both with a shallow thrust which ground their clothed erections together. "Not all the way," the blond practically growled. "Not now at least."

Harry wasn't going to complain about that. As far as he was concerned, what they were doing at that very moment was more than enough for him. Never before had he ever felt anything at all like this. Until that moment, he hadn't experienced arousal. He had wondered if it was perhaps going to turn out like his sense of self-consciousness and embarrassment; non-existent. The prospect had, admittedly, rather worried him. But now he was reassured. Warm spikes of pleasure shot through him with every thrust of Draco's hips against his and without even really realising, Harry began to undulate his own hips, meeting with the blond's movements and creating a greater pressure between them.

Conversation having long since stopped, both young men were reduced to nothing more than gasps and their feelings of pleasure. As Draco grunted in a steady rhythm, Harry's mouth was stuck open in a permanent gasp of silent pleasure. He was as silent in his enjoyment as he was with everything else but his participation and the odd one or two gasps which did escape him spoke volumes.

As the pleasure started build on top of pleasure and both started to feel the beginning of the end, the annoyance of their clothing barrier became more and more of an issue. Neither stopped their thrusting hips but both began to attempt to reach as much of the other's skin as they could. Their lips joined in a heated kiss, Draco's hands snaked underneath the cotton pyjamas jacket to touch the almost ghost white skin underneath while Harry brought his hands to lace through the thin strands of silver-blond hair which he still had enough sense left to know not to clutch too hard.

When the end came, for Draco it was blissful but nothing Earth shattering. For Harry, he felt as though time had stopped along with his heart. His entire body tensed as he released, his breathing hitched awkwardly and his body moved without him even thinking. Never before had he ever felt anything so intense and it left him breathless and feeling more than a little exhausted. When the initial rush faded, his body slackened instantly and he all but melted into the bed.

Remaining twined together, Draco leaned down and pressed a sweet, closed mouth kiss to Harry's lips, savouring the afterglow. As Harry slowly came back to his senses, he realised there was a slight ringing in his ears. "Why do my ears ring?" He murmured very quietly.

"That can happen sometimes, usually when the orgasm was rather intense." Draco explained, sounding just a touch smug about it. He rolled them onto their sides then, tugging the other boy closer so not a breath separated them. "So what did you think of it?"

"It was...Exhausting."

Draco snickered at that but said nothing.

"And now my pyjamas feel rather sticky and wet."

"Hmm, give me a second and I'll grab my wand." The blond hummed, obviously too relaxed to do it at that moment. "Other than finding it exhausting and now feeling a little sticky, how was it?"

"It was..." Harry hesitated as he thought very carefully on what word he could use. Eventually, he made up his mind and breathed out one simple word. "Wonderful."

A happy smile bloomed on Draco's face and he snuggled closer to Harry, burying his nose in the strands of dark hair. "And that's exactly what I wanted to hear." He paused and pressed a kiss to the top of his best friend's head. "Merry Christmas Harry." He wished for the second time that morning.

A small smile of Harry's own found its way onto his face. "Merry Christmas Draco."

* * *

25th December 1997: Midday 

"Ah, Mr Potter, Mr Malfoy," Professor McGonagall greeted the two young men as they entered the Great Hall, hand in hand. "Merry Christmas to you both."

"Merry Christmas Professor." Draco return politely while Harry remained silent.

"I trust you've had a pleasant morning?" The woman inquired, watching the Slytherins making their way over to the single, long table which all the other teachers were sitting at.

"Oh yes, a very pleasant morning." The blond practically leered, sending a sidewards glance towards Harry.

Harry completely ignored Draco and his words and instead focussed his attention to Sirius and Remus who they were gradually approaching. "Merry Christmas." He quietly wished by way of greeting.

"Merry Christmas to you too Harry." Remus returned while Sirius seemed to surprised by the greeting to respond. "Already exchanged gifts with Draco?"

"Yes." The teenager confirmed as he took the seat Draco had pulled out for him. It was as the Malfoy performed the act of chivilry that the professor's noticed the new ring on his left hand.

"That's...!" Sirius began in a very loud voice which attracted the attention of everyone else.

"My gift to Draco." Harry confirmed calmly and quietly.

"Harry, do you know..." Remus began.

"I do. I make a point of not entering into things blindly."

"Oh, I know Harry, I didn't mean to imply..."

"Do not concern yourself." The stoic youth interrupted his honourary godfather's apology. He really didn't want to get bogged down in a conversation about the ring and so he decided to change the subject rather quickly. "You have had a pleasant morning?"

"Yes, thank you." Remus answered. Beside him, it was obvious that Sirius was still rather stupefied by the sight of the ring on Draco's finger. "If you wouldn't mind Harry," the Potions professor continued. "Could you come to mine and Sirius' rooms after our dinner? There's something we'd like to give you."

Harry glanced from Remus to Sirius without expression as he considered the offer. Although the two men had made a point of coming down to the dungeons to check on him every day since he had been discharged from the Infirmary, no real alone time had been spent as Draco had always been present. For reasons Harry didn't quite understand, it was obvious that at least Sirius truly disliked the Malfoy and so little, if any, conversation was held during such times. Certainly no mention had been made of gifts. Remus was not one to lie and certainly not for the purpose of getting his own way and so Harry was reassured that the giving of a gift was not just a way to get him into their rooms for whatever other reason.

Harry gave a light nod of his head. "Very well."

* * *

25th December 1997: Afternoon 

And so the moment came. Dinner had ended and Harry had parted ways with Draco in order to follow his two godfathers to their personal rooms in order to receive whatever it was the two men had got for him. The teenager sat in an armchair, his posture perfect as always, as Remus was in their little kitchen making some tea while Sirius was getting the presents. Whereas other people may have taken the oppotunity to explore the new environment, even if only by looking around from where they sat, Harry made no such move and instead sat completely still, his gaze fixed steadily ahead of himself. He only moved when Remus re-entered and handed him a cup of tea.

"Thank you." Harry murmured almost as a reflex as he accepted the cup and saucer; the words which had once seemed so foreign but had now become natural.

Remus smiled at the gratitude and placed down a second cup and saucer on the coffee table in front of them before settling down on the sofa to the left of Harry, his own cup of tea in his hands (Merlin only knew how he had managed to carry three sets of cups and saucers, all filled with hot tea, into the room so easily). "So what did you and Draco do with yourselves this morning?" He asked casually, obviously just trying to make conversation rather than speaking with the intention to pry.

"Nothing of significance." The teenager revealed and what he actually meant was that they had done nothing of significance to Remus.

"That was a a beautiful ring you gave him, I'm sure he was thrilled with it."

"He did seem to be pleased."

"You really do love him, don't you?" The question was asked in a sort of meloncholy manner as though the love was something to be mourned rather than celebrated.

"I do." Harry confirmed nonetheless, not caring how Remus, or Sirius for that matter, felt about his relationship with Draco.

Saving them both from further travel down that road of conversation, Sirius came in then, two gifts in arm, both wrapped in shiny red and gold wrapping paper. Gryffindor colours, how very predictable.

"Here we are." The dark haired man said cheerfully, striding over to his godson and holding the presents out in offering upon reaching the teenager.

Harry set his tea down on the side table to his left before accepting the parcels with the usual words of thanks. Both of the presents were fairly large, one the size of a square pillow and just as squishy while the other was slightly smaller than that and was hard, obviously a book. It was that one Harry chose to open first, pulling the sealed flaps open carefully before folding the paper over on itself. What was revealed to him was a dull burgendy leather-covered book. He opened it, curious at to what sort of book Remus and Sirius would get him, and was shocked into stillness at the sight which greeted him.

A photo positioned in the middle of the page, a Wizarding one which moved, of two adults, a man and a woman, holding a baby between them. The woman's red hair shined beautifully in the spring sun (and it had to be the spring because there was a tree in the background with blossoms in full bloom), and her dazzling green eyes sparkled with pride and joy as she pressed a kiss to the baby's small fingers. The man, who wore glasses, Harry had never seen before but could recognise the face if only because it looked so familiar to his own. He knew who these people were; his parents and himself as a baby.

"We put it together ourselves." Remus revealed quietly in the silence as Harry flicked through the other pages carefully, finding more pictures of his parents and of himself and Sirius and Remus when they were all younger. "Those are the best of the bunch but there are more in case you're interested."

Harry made no reply to that and instead closed the album carefully, setting it down flat on his lap before moving onto the second, more flexiable present. As with all the others he had received, the paper was removed very carefully, barely a rip made. The youth folded back the wrapping and held up what turned out to be a cloak. On first glance it appeared to be rather unremarkable but upon turning it around and seeing nothing, Harry realised what it actually was.

"An invisibility cloak."

"It was James'." Sirius revealed, sounding more than a little sad.

"My father." Harry murmured, mostly to himself, as he brought the cloak in closer and fingered the material lightly, feeling its texture.

If he was honest, Harry had never really thought about his parents. He knew of them, of course, but he had never considered it at length. After all, they were gone, they belonged to the past and although the past should never be forgotten, it was never wise to dwell on it. But as he sat in the arm chair, a photo album full of images of James and Lily Potter on his lap and an invisibility cloak, that had once been settled around his father's figure, in his arms, Harry suddenly had the very strange sense that his mother and father had been real. Before they had simply been names and actions but now they were real, he had once been with them, he had once loved them and had no doubt been loved in return.

His arms barely moved an inch but it was enough for him to clutch the two items to his chest in a light embrace. "Thank you," he said in an almost whisper. "Thank you for giving them to me." And he didn't just mean the objects, he was giving thanks to the two men for giving him the memory of his parents.

"We're glad you like them." Remus said gently.

"Perhaps," Sirius spoke carefully then. "As long as you're in no rush to get back to Malfoy, you might like to hear a bit about Lily and James?"

It was an offer which had been made countless times before and it was an offer Harry had turned down countless times before. But this time, Harry found that his answer was going to have to be different. He looked up at his two guardians slowly. "Yes," he agreed quietly but firmly. "I would like that very much."

* * *

25th December 1997: Evening

It had been a long, long day but that was something Harry was glad for. Never before had he experienced a day in which he had been so constantly happy all throughout.

The sun had long set outside and all those remaining in Hogwarts had once again gathered in the Great Hall before they all retired for the night. A piano had been fetched in (or cunjured up) and Professor Flitwick sat at it, playing Christmas carols which everyone sang along too. Well, everyone except Harry who didn't know the words. The young saviour sat to the right of Draco, his head resting on his blond friend's shoulder, and on his left stood Sirius who stood beside Remus. Although the singing of the professors and Draco (who was murmuring the words rather than actually singing them) could hardly be described as professional or polished, it was soothing and pleasant to listen to as a mother's crooning might; it didn't need to be perfect or even talented in order for it to sound pleasant.

Perhaps for the first time in his life, Harry felt completely content and, dare he say it, happy. For that moment, in the soft light of the numerous candles around them and the soothing lulls of the unprofessional voices singing carols, every problem and dilema in Harry's life seemed like a far off dream to be worried about only in the harsh light of day. He was not in danger, he had never been poisoned, he wasn't the emotionally challenged saviour of the Wizarding world; he was just him, Harry, in love with Draco and loved by his two godfathers.

Idly, as he slowly began to drift off to sleep, Harry thought that Christmas had turned out to be a very good time of the year and he was already looking forward to when it came again.

* * *

End of Chapter 9.  
Oh, the fluff content! Don't it make ya feel all warm and fuzzy inside?  
I have a couple of things to say now. First of all, I have now completely finished this story. All the chapters are prewritten (still have to go back through and edit them though) so to those of you who were worried that this story would never be finished for whatever reason, stop worrying. It's finished, it will be posted, the only thing which can stop me now is death!  
Second thing, because of the overwhelming support from the majority of you, I'm going ahead with my Fenrir/Harry idea. So, after a couple of months of unsurity, it's official; my time in the Harry Potter fandom has not yet ended! I shall return after this story with Fenrir/Harry themed happenings :) More on that closer to the end of this story.  
That's me all talked out for another time, see you all next week :)

Hugs  
Dream


	10. 1st Jan to 6th Jan 1998

Hi everyone :)

Thank you to everyone who took the time to leave me a review. They were all appreciated very much.  
And now, I have but one more word to say before he proceed: lemon :D

* * *

1st January 1998: Early Morning

Harry watched as Sirius happily poured out another portion of champagne into Remus' glass when the man wasn't looking and was instead laughing at something Hagrid had said to him. Every professor in the school, plus Harry and Draco (who were the only students staying for the holidays, no doubt because it was the first Christmas after the war's end), were gathered in the Great Hall, celebrating the coming of the new year. The actual moment had been and gone, the majority of the adults all counting down to midnight and then cheering when it was reached. There had been kissing of course. Draco had kissed Harry only for Harry to be abruptly yanked away by a slightly drunk Sirius who had crushed him in a bear hug. Things had calmed down since and the two students were allowed to keep to themselves more as tipsy adults created a ruckus. After all, ruckus was hardly Harry's style.

"You know what I think?" Draco murmured into Harry's ear as he wrapped his arms around the dark haired youth's waist from behind.

"No, what?"

"I think this is going to be the best year ever." The blond predicted, a clear grin in his voice, before he angled his head just enough to press a kiss to Harry's cheek.

Harry couldn't stop the soft smile which crossed his lips at that as he brought his own arms up to hold onto the ones which surrounded his waist. Ever since Christmas morning, the feelings stirred from Draco's embraces and kisses seemed to have changed for Harry. Each one made him want to smile brightly, they made his heart flutter but, perhaps most different from before, they made him crave more. When he was in the Malfoy's arms, he never wanted to be let go. When he felt the blond's kiss, he never wanted it to stop and he wanted it to go so much further. They hadn't done anything since that memorable morning and Harry believed that he was getting just the slightest bit impatient. However, despite his impatience, he was also more than a little anxious.

All that Harry knew about sex was the things which were common sense, everything else was a complete mystery to him. He knew he wanted it and he knew he only wanted it with Draco but the actual workings of it, he had less of an idea about. Worst still, he felt unable to talk to Draco about it in detail, not because he was embarrassed for anything, more because he was concerned that his naivety would become an issue for the blond. Draco knew Harry didn't know much but it was doubtful he knew quite how unaware the saviour actually was. Harry just didn't want to disappoint.

He felt rather under pressure to do it as well, not from Draco but from their situation. The students would return from the holidays on the seventh of that month. That meant that in a mere week, Crabbe and Goyle would return and Harry and Draco would no longer have the dorm room completely to themselves. Harry may not have had much of a sense of embarrassment but there was no way he wanted to have sex while there were other people in the room. In his mind, he had a week to find out as much as possible so that he and the Malfoy could "do the deed" so to speak.

And so Harry had a plan. It wasn't a great plan, even he had to admit that, but it was a plan and it was better than no plan at all and it would be put into affect just as soon as he could arrange for some time separate from Draco.

* * *

4th January 1998: Midday

It took four days before Harry finally managed to get some time away from Draco. The blond had holidays homework he felt he could put off no longer and so while he did that, Harry had made his excuses and went in search of the two people he wanted to speak to. He had argued the merits of the plan back and forth in his head too many times to count and each time he came to the same conclusion; it was the easiest and probably the best option. That decision was what had led him to standing in front of a portrait of a person Harry neither recognised or cared about, his hand raised after having just knocked on the frame a few times. There was a slight delay before the portrait swung inwards and the youth was greeted.

"Harry?" Remus greeted him, his tone full of surprise. "What are you doing here?"

"I wish to speak to you and Sirius." Harry revealed in his usual monotone.

"Oh, erm, come in then." The Potions professor invited, stepping aside to allow the teenager in.

Harry did as invited and then allowed himself to be led further into the living quarters. Upon entering what was obviously the living room, he found the sight of Sirius laying sprawled out on a three seat sofa, apparently not doing anything else but being lazy. However, when the dark haired man saw his godson enter, he was sitting up in an instant.

"Harry!" He spoke just in the same tone as Remus had used.

"Harry says he wants to speak to us." Remus revealed as he moved over to the sofa, moving Sirius' legs off when he reached it and sitting down himself.

"I have come to ask your advice on something." Harry revealed as he lowered himself into a single arm-chair to the left of the sofa.

"Oh? And what would that be?" Sirius asked cheerfully.

"Intimate relations with another male."

Neither man said anything then for several moments as they both stared at Harry in a rather blank way. Then, eventually, it was Remus who spoke, or more accurately croaked. "You mean sex?"

"Yes."

"Why would you need to know a thing like that?" Sirius asked in a somewhat heated tone.

Harry gave his godfather a pointed look. "You are not oblivious, Sirius, so do not act as though you are."

"But you're only seventeen!"

"Was it not you who told me I should be sowing my wild oats?"

"Well yes, I mean no, I mean..."

"I think," Remus quickly interrupted his lover's stammers. "What Sirius is trying to say is that starting a physical relationship with someone is a big step. It's good that you've come to us first though and I want you to know that there's nothing to be ashamed or embarrassed..."

"I am not." Harry assured easily, cutting his honorary godfather off. "I simply wish to ask about the technical side of the act. Considering your relationship and what you are to me, I decided you would both be the best people to ask."

"What we are to you?" Sirius echoed softly.

"Family." Was all he said as though that should've been obvious.

Both of the men seemed to get rather choked up at that, Remus swallowing thickly while Sirius began to blink his eyes rather rapidly. Harry said nothing, allowing the two time to compose themselves once more. It wasn't a particularly long wait, no more than a minute went by, and it was the godfather who started the conversation up again. "So, what is it you want to know?"

"Does it hurt?" The teenager asked softly.

"Pardon?" Sirius replied with a frown, not really catching onto what his godson meant.

"Sexual intercourse; does it hurt?"

Remus decided to answer that. "Not really..." He murmured and it was clear he was fighting to find the right way to explain it. "If everything's done correctly then there's very little to no pain."

"Done correctly?" Harry echoed, confused.

"Well, sexual intercourse between two men is different from a man sleeping with a girl. Do you know what happens with a girl?"

"Yes."

Remus gave a light cough of embarrassment then, obviously not looking forward to what he was about to go into. "Well, when it comes to intercourse between two men, one of them had to take the, uh, "female", or submissive, role while the other takes the "male", or dominant, role." He explained, using his fingers to form air-quotes in the appropriate places.

"I see." Harry murmured. "So the male in the submissive role is the one who accepts the penetration."

"That's right."

"How are the roles decided?"

"There's no set way," Sirius stepped into the conversation then. "For some it's a matter of nature, others it's a matter of taste, or it can just be how you feel at that moment. It's not uncommon for partners to switch positions."

"Do you switch?"

"Harry!" Remus gasped, a blush colouring his cheeks.

"We only usually switch when the full moon's coming, that's what Remus gets a little Alpha male on me."

"Sirius!"

"Oh c'mon Moony, we're all family here and Harry did ask." Sirius defended himself.

"If I may ask," Harry spoke quickly so as to cut short any developing argument. "Which role do you think is better?"

"They both have their pluses and negatives." His godfather told him. "Sometimes being the submissive one means you can just lay back and let your partner do all the work but it also leaves you at the other's mercy, though some get off on that. Being the dominant gives you a lot more control over things but requires a lot more effort."

"I see." The teenager murmured again. "One final question, if I may. How will Draco...What I mean to say is, how will he...I imagine it will be a tight fit..." He stammered, struggling to find a way to describe what he meant.

"He'll use lubricant," Sirius quickly interrupted, understanding what his godson was trying to get at and not wanting to prolong the agony anymore. "A sort of slippery gel. He'll stretch you first with his fingers so you'll be loose enough for him to push in. The lubricant will make everything more slick and easy so he'll slip in rather than drag which would be painful."

The words "I see" were on the tip of Harry's tongue again but he stopped himself from speaking for fear of sounding like a broken record. Instead, he simply sat there and took in all the information. He wondered idly if the slight discomfort he suddenly felt was a rather mild embarrassment or a degree of fear but he saw no point in lingering on that thought considering it was easy enough to ignore.

"If you wind up being the submissive one, it may very well sting a bit at first; even with a lot of preparation, the first time can be uncomfortable for a virgin. But if you can grit your teeth and ride through the pain then it can feel like nothing else you've ever experienced." Remus reassured the teenager although Harry showed no signs of needing reassurance.

"Just don't do anything until your absolutely certain about it, Harry." Sirius said firmly.

"I will not."

"You promise?" The man asked carefully.

"I promise."

Sirius looked convinced of Harry's promise and more than a little relieved. Remus also looked rather relieved and curiously at ease. Harry supposed that, after all, his plan to ask Sirius and Remus' advice had not been such a bad one. It had certainly gone better than he had expected and it also had the bonus of making him feel oddly close to the two men who were the closest thing he had to family. Yes, all in all, it had turned out to be a good plan.

* * *

6th January 1998: Night

"...I'm sorry, but what?"

"You heard what I said."

"Yes, I did, but I can't quite believe it." Draco said as he looked at Harry carefully, over where the other teenager was standing by their bed. "You want us to have sex, right now?"

"Yes." Harry confirmed, sounding not the least bit flustered or embarrassed about voicing his desires. In fact, he looked as calm and stoic as always.

Draco continued to stare at his best friend even as he stood and moved over to stand in front of him. "Why so suddenly? I haven't inadvertently been pressuring you have I? Because if you're only suggesting this because of something I've said or done then..."

"I have been thinking about it," Harry interrupted the blond there, averting his gaze down and to the side slightly. "For quite some time. I have wanted it for quite some time."

Although Harry's expression was still neutral and displayed no real emotion, a faint blush tinted his cheeks. He could hear his heart pounding in his ears as Draco tilted his chin up and looked straight into his eyes. "What is it you want, Harry?" The blond practically purred, leaning in closer so his lips were just barely touching the shell of the dark haired youth's left ear.

Harry's vision was unfocused as he looked ahead of himself, down at the floor just over Draco's shoulder. "I want to be close to you," he whispered quietly. "I want you to show me how to love you."

Draco pressed his hips into Harry's and smiled at the slight catch in breath that earned from the stoic youth. "Are you sure, Harry?" He checked, his voice also barely above a whisper, as he nuzzled the sensitive skin beneath Harry's left ear. "There's still no pressure, we don't have to go all the way yet, there's loads of other stuff we can do which'll feel just as good and still serve the purpose of showing each other how we feel."

The smaller teenager brought his hands up to hold onto his best friend's robes. "I am sure." He breathed, moving his head to look up at the blond. "I want more than what happened on Christmas Day, I want to love you Draco."

The Malfoy smiled at that proclamation and brought his hands up to hold Harry's as he leaned down until their lips pressed together in a simple kiss. The familiarity of it helped to calm the inexperienced youth who would be lying if he claimed he wasn't at all nervous. He was sure that the pounding of his heart wasn't just because of arousal. In fact, he was sure that most of it wasn't from arousal and was in fact from his nerves. But the kiss helped, until, that is, he felt a hand that wasn't his slip in between his and Draco's bodies and start to undo the clasp on his robe. Harry couldn't stop himself from tensing at that and it didn't go unnoticed.

"Sure you're all right with this?" Draco murmured one last time, pulling back from the kiss just enough to talk.

Harry managed to nod as he swallowed thickly and then just about got out a verbal answer. "It is just so new to me and I must admit...I am rather nervous."

"That's understandable." The blond reassured as he gently slipped the shorter male's robe off, allowing it to simply pool on the floor in a heap. "Don't worry though, I'll take good care of you." He promised with a slight smirk as he pulled Harry to him by his tie and brought their lips together once again.

As Harry surrendered himself to the kiss and Draco's busy hands, a small voice in the back of his head constantly reassured him that this was his best friend, his first friend, the one he trusted more than anyone else in the world. However, eventually, it was not those words and silent assurances he gave himself which made him calm down. Rather it was the warm hum of arousal that was slowly but surely spreading through his entire body. Their lips never parted and never stopped their movement, he felt the pressure on the back of his neck as his tie was loosened and then removed. Then, the kiss stopped again and Harry was left feeling slightly dazed and rather unsteady on his feet. He tightened his hold on Draco's robes and leaned against his sturdy form a little, just so he didn't abruptly fall over or something of the such.

"Merlin, I love seeing you like this," Draco murmured, slipping the top button of Harry's shirt free. "Your cheeks flushed with want, want for me. I used to imagine it," pale fingers paused their work on the buttons in order to caress the newly revealed skin of Harry's chest. "Before, during the summer, when we were apart. I used to picture what your face would look like," fingers began to work on the buttons again. "What you would sound like. Those fantasies seemed so good at the time but now, now I see that they pale in comparison to reality." He ran his hands softly up the now bare chest of the dark haired youth, causing another slight catch in Harry's breathing before the shirt was pushed from his shoulders until it joined the robe on the floor. "My Harry," he whispered affectionately, his fingers skating down the pale, smooth chest, down to brush lightly over the stomach. "So beautiful."

Harry allowed Draco to take his hand then and lead him closer to the bed which had basically been theirs since the beginning of November. Without anymore words, the blond guided him to sit on the edge of the bed as he got down onto his knees and began to remove one shoe and then the other. He ran his hands up Harry's ankles, under the hem of his trousers, to catch the tops of his socks and pull them off. When he let his fingers ghost over the arches of Harry's feet, Draco expected, or at least hoped, it to coax a reaction from Harry. Alas, no such thing happened though and the young man remained as unresponding as ever.

"Not ticklish hmm?" He mused as he began to remove his own shoes before climbing up onto the bed, forcing Harry to lay down on his back in the process. "That's a shame, it would've been a fun way to torment you a little bit."

"You will just have to find another way to torment me then." Harry murmured as he reached up and lightly traced one of the buttons on Draco's shirt with the pad of his index finger. "Why are you still dressed?" He asked quietly, even as he slipped a finger beneath the knot of the Slytherin tie. He pulled it very gently to loosen it before pulling it over the blond's head and then simply dropping it to the floor.

"Well, well, this is a pleasant surprise," the Malfoy hummed as his best friend's fingers began to work on the shirt's buttons. "There was me thinking I was going to have to do all the work this first time."

Harry didn't reply to that at first, he simply concentrated on freeing all the buttons. Then, once they were all undone, he finally spoke again. "As long as you are unconcerned by my inexperience then I will gladly reciprocate your affections."

Draco positively beamed at that and shrugged off his shirt, leaving him naked from the waist upwards. "That's good to know. There might come a time when we'll see just how far you're willing to go to reciprocate my affections but, for now," he paused then as he trailed his hands down to the waist of Harry's trousers. "I plan on releasing six months of pent up arousal on you." With that said, a devilish smirk crossed his lips as he leaned down and captured Harry's mouth once again.

For Harry, it seemed as though time skipped because no sooner had Draco stopped talking and started to kiss him then Draco was suddenly naked, he, himself, was suddenly naked and his body was tingling with sensation. A light gasp found its way out of his mouth as firm hands began to explore his body, scratching at nipples, dragging down his sides, all sending thrills of pleasure running through him. When the Malfoy leaned down and took one nipple into his mouth, sucking firmly a few times before nipping it gently with his teeth, a very slight, breathy moan escaped Harry as he arched his back into the sensation. That treatment only lasted for a few seconds though before Draco had moved off, rolling onto his side next to the slighter teenager. He leaned in and pressed a slow, teasing kiss to Harry's lips before pulling back once again. Only slightly however as he stayed close enough to nuzzle the pale neck.

"Turn over," Draco ordered in a whisper.

Green eyes flickered into focus and glanced at the blond for a moment before the direction was followed and Harry shifted himself so he was laying flat on his stomach. He felt a warm hand caressing his back just as he heard, rather than saw, a few pats being placed on the pillow his head was resting on. Without even having to be told, he lifted his head. Moments later, the pillow was pulled away, leaving only the flatter pillow underneath for Harry to rest his head on.

"Good boy." The Malfoy praised huskily. "Now lift your hips."

Once again, Harry did as asked without complaint and when his hips were up high enough, the pillow was pushed underneath him. The hand producing a light pressure on his lower back told him that it was all right for him to relax again. It took a few minutes of squirming to get comfortable and another few minutes for the pillow to warm up so it didn't hold such a chill, but Harry did eventually stop moving and when he did, Draco almost instantly had his hands back on the boy.

Warm, firm hands massaged the backs of Harry's thighs as the legs were spread and the sound of Draco shifting came, no doubt moving so he was positioned within the V Harry's limbs created. Those hands continued to rub and knead as the blond leaned over his lover, dropping kisses onto the pale back as he stretched his body out as his hands slid their way up the shoulder blades. Green eyes fluttered shut as Harry allowed himself to simply feel Draco stretched over him, pressing against his body, hands smoothing over his arms and clasping his own hands. Shots of pleasure danced inside the dark haired youth as something firm and moist licked a certain spot on the side of his neck just before teeth nipped at it sharply which only added more pleasure. The spot of the nip was soothed with another lick. Then, lips sealed around the spot and Harry was useless to do anything but gasp almost silently and squirm as the patch of skin was licked and sucked and bit until it had turned an angry red. Only with that mark made did Draco leave it with a final butterfly kiss. The blond didn't move too far though and he brought his lips into contact with the shell of Harry's ear.

"How are you doing?" He whispered gently.

Harry tried to work his mouth to answer but it seemed to be stuck open in a permanent gasp. Draco noticed such and chuckle lightly.

"Ready to move onto more?" The blond asked before he traced the lobe of Harry's ear with his tongue.

A shudder and a chill ran through Harry's body at that and the most he could get out was a breathy whimper. It seemed to be enough to reassure Draco that a continuation would be welcome however as he left the ear then in favour of moving back lower down Harry's body. That tongue, which was now becoming very familiar, licked firmly down Harry's spine as the hands holding his released and trailed down his arms, down his sides, to his hips. An open mouthed kiss was pressed onto the small of his back before the warmth of presence of Draco left completely. Harry opened his eyes to see what was going on and he saw that Draco was still on the bed but was now leaning over to the side, one hand supporting his weight on the bedside cabinet to their right while the other hand rooted around inside an open drawer.

"What are you looking for?" Harry asked and he was secretly rather surprised by the sound of his own voice; it sounded so breathless and husky.

"We need something for lubrication." Draco explained as he continued to search blindly. "I wasn't expecting this so I don't have any actual lubricant but I have hand cream which'll work just as well."

"You use hand cream?"

A slightly indignant look crossed the Malfoy's face as he detected the tiniest hint of amusement in Harry's words. "You should be glad I do otherwise we'd be stopping things right about now."

"We would have to ask Sirius for assistance."

"Pardon?"

"He would no doubt have something we could use considering his relationship with Remus."

"That would be completely mortifying." Draco muttered as he pushed himself up straight, a glass tub filled with a thick, white substance clasped in his right hand.

"Then I would ask for it."

"Well it's a moot point considering I've got it." The blond reasoned as he took off the lid. "Now," his tone changed with that word and became a lot more serious. "I can't promise that this isn't going to hurt but I can promise that I'll be as careful as I can. If anything hurts too badly, I want you to tell me right away, understand?"

"Yes." Harry murmured.

"It'll just be one finger at first," Draco explained gently as he slicked the middle finger of his left hand with the cream. "Just one shouldn't hurt so it'll be an easy start."

Harry said nothing in reply to that and simply took the time to try and calm his suddenly racing heart. This was it, the actual beginning, what he had wanted. He was anxious, yes, but he was also rather excited and eager to experience what was to come and be so intimately connected to the one he knew he loved. A hand pried his nether-cheeks apart then before Harry felt a finger covered in hand cream track expertly down his cleft to his entrance. The slick feeling was, admittedly, very pleasant and he felt only pleasure as the finger began to stroke little circles around his hole, his flesh quivering of its own accord in response. It was after a minute of so that the finger finally pushed and slipped in through the ring of muscle. Harry couldn't stop the sharp gasp of surprise that cause just as he couldn't stop himself from clenching around the digit.

"It's all right, love, just relax." Draco cooed softly, leaning down and pressing a kiss onto the small of the saviour's back.

Harry took in a deep breath through his nose and tried to do as the Malfoy had instructed. Slowly, he managed to succeed in the task of loosening and then staying loose as the first few times he had tried to relax, he had inadvertently clenched back up again for some reason. It was rather disconcerting to have his body act seemingly of its own accord and no doubt if Harry had been with anyone other than Draco, he would've insisted on stopping and trying again another day. With Draco he knew things would be fine though and so he allowed it to continue. When it became clear that he really was relaxed once again, the finger slipped in deeper and began to swirl it around a little. Harry's reaction to that was to wiggle a bit as he thought on what an odd and yet strangely pleasant sensation it was.

Kisses started to once again be pressed against Harry's back. They were varied in pressure and longevity and were peppered all over: on the small of his back; on his sides; on his thighs; on the round cheeks of his bottom. Practically everywhere Draco's lips could reach was kissed at least once and then most of the attention was paid to the crease between Harry's thigh and posterior on his right leg. The skin there was teased with kisses, flicks of the tongue and little nips from teeth. All the while, the finger inside continued to push in and out.

Harry tingled from top to bottom and he found that he couldn't hold still. The need to move was curious and too strong to simply ignore; it had to be indulged. Although Harry's movements could hardly be called intense of energetic, they were definitely there and it thrilled Draco to see the usually stoic young man slowly coming apart. The entrance was loosening as well so the blond withdrew the one finger, slicked it and another up before replacing them at Harry's hole.

"More now Harry." He said in barely a whisper.

Green eyes closed as the blunt, pushing sensation returned. Although expected, the muscles still tensed up and so a few seconds had to pass before Draco continued and pushed both fingers in with ease.

Harry was tight, as to be expected, but he was responding wonderfully. Draco continued his mouthing of all the flesh his lips could reach as he began a gentle scissoring of his fingers inside his lover, stretching the sphincter muscles while the pads stroked the walls of the passage. When Harry's rear suddenly bumped against his face, Draco was initially surprised and a little worried he had caused some pain. However, upon looking at Harry's expression, the blond couldn't stop the grin from spreading across his face. He was seeing the most defined expression he had ever seen Harry show and it was one of pure pleasure. It wasn't extreme, it wasn't over the top, but it was clear. Harry had his eyes screwed shut tightly and was lightly biting his bottom lip. It was possibly the most erotic thing Draco had ever seen and he gave a light groan as he gave a particularly sharp thrust of his fingers. In response, another gasp came from Harry as his hips pushed up to meet the thrust.

"Merlin..." He breathed.

Merely from the fact that Harry had spoken did Draco assume he had inadvertently brushed over Harry's prostate. After all, the saviour was hardly one for unnecessary words and although the word had hardly been heard, when coming from Harry it meant a lot.

After that, things developed at a more rapid pace. Harry's breathing grew heavier and his hips began to move with the rhythm Draco had created. So, the blond quickly withdrew his two fingers to slick and return three. By the time he loosened Harry as much as he thought he could with his fingers, Draco was more than ready himself and Harry seemed to be lost to a satisfactory degree.

"Turn onto your side." Draco instructed slightly urgently as he scooped out a very generous amount of cream (something he would no doubt later regret as the cosmetic was somewhat expensive), and began to slick up his erection, stroking and circling the length until it was covered as much as possible.

Somehow Harry's fogged mind made sense of the order and he rolled over so he was laying on his left side, leaving the pillow beneath him behind in the process. Not a moment after he was settled and he felt a hand grip the thigh of his right leg and apply pressure. Following the pressure, he lifted his leg, the hand staying to support it, and the next thing he felt was a much larger blunt pressure against his hole. It was obvious in his mind what it was and a small amount of anxiety returned. Before any of that could be voiced however, Draco started to push into him. A shuddered, panted gasp rushed out of Harry as an intense sting shot through his pelvic area and made his entire body stiffen. It was too much. Screwing shut his eyes, Harry fisted the material of the flat pillow and he would've tried to move away if not for the fact that Draco's hands were firm on his waist, holding him still.

"Listen Harry," Draco's voice was rough, tight with the effort it was taking to restrain himself from moving into the tight, hot heat which surrounded him. His hands moved up to Harry's stomach, rubbing soothing circles over the skin. "This will get better, I promise. You need to push out against me, okay? Try and ignore the pain, pay attention to my hands instead. Just give it a minute and the pain will die away."

Small soothing circles were rubbed against Harry's abdomen as he forced himself to try and relax and did as Draco had instructed. He pushed back and heard a soft moan from Draco as the blond met him, pushing forward and sinking deeper into Harry. There was still so much pain but Harry grit his teeth and bared it, trying to focus on the touches on his stomach rather than the sensation of Draco sinking into him, filling him slowly. Finally, after what seemed like a very painful eternity, Harry was completely full and Draco's hips were pressed flush against his rear. The dark haired youth's breath came out in short, heavy gasps as he came down from the adrenalin rush pain always seemed to send him in to.

"All right?" Draco's voice grunted just beside his ear.

"Yes." Harry breathed.

"Does it still hurt?"

"Not to the extent it did initially."

"Can I move?"

Harry didn't reply to that question for several moments but it was just as Draco was about to ask again that he spoke one word very quietly: "Yes."

Not even a second passed before Draco began to move his hips slowly and carefully, obviously still aware of how tender Harry might feel despite the fact he was finding it hard to control himself. He needn't have worried however because although there was a painful half-sting/half-burning sensation upon each thrust in for Harry, there was a far more significant pleasure on the drag out. It wasn't long before the saviour lost himself to the pleasure completely, the pain still there but not to such an extent and actually adding to the pleasure, mixing with it to make it all feel even more wonderful.

The movement inside him, the movement behind him, the steady rhythm of in and out and in and out, the occasional brushing of that place that sent an electric spark through him; it was incredible. Harry had known that he was more sensitive to pain than the average person as a result of going sixteen years without feeling anything at all. He was now finding that the same was obviously true of pleasure because although Draco was obviously enjoying himself, panting and moaning behind him, Harry, himself, was sure the blond wasn't feeling even half of what he was. It was such an intense feeling, his body moved of its own accord to get more sensation, he could barely breathe, he couldn't think. It would've been frightening if it hadn't been so glorious, because that's what it was. Glorious.

"You...You are inside me." Harry breathed in awe as though he had only just realised that fact. His breathing caught in his throat as that pleasure point deep inside was nudged once again. "We are as physically close as we can ever possibly be..."

If Draco was planning to reply to those words, it was lost as his hips suddenly snapped violently and his fingers dug hard into Harry's hips as he came with a long, almost primitive, cry. Harry felt the warmth of his lover's release flood him and made the last of the blond's movements all the slicker and easier.

Once his thrusting hips had succeeded in earning him as much pleasure as he could milk, the Malfoy slumped on the bed limply, panting harshly in Harry's ear. He still managed to somehow find the energy, however, to reach his left hand around his lover's body to grip his erection while he brought his right hand to where they had been joined and abruptly thrust three fingers inside the entrance which was leaking with his own seed.

The loudest sound since he had suffered the affects of the Sectumsempra spell left Harry then, his hips snapping forward and his erection pulsing as his orgasm ripped through him unexpectedly. That one loud-ish cry was followed by heavy gasps as his hips continued to pump of their own volition and every bit of energy seemed to be leaving his body with the ropes of fluid which shot forward and stained the duvet.

Some time later, it was hard for him to tell exactly how long later, Harry became aware of the fact he had been rolled onto his back and a warm body was pressed to his right side. He slowly blinked open his eyes, finding that his vision was quite fuzzy, and saw Draco gazing down at him with a small smile playing across his lips. Harry said no words, he could think of none to say, and instead he turned over so he could fully cuddle up to the one who was still his best friend but was also now his lover.

Draco seemed a little surprised with the movement, it was rare for Harry to initiate anything after all, but the surprise faded relatively quickly. The smile returned to the blond's lips as he dipped his head down to press a kiss to Harry's forehead. Snuggling down, he blindly reached for his wand and, upon finding it, he flicked it around carelessly and mumbled half-hearted spells which cleaned stains, cleaned them and set his jar of hand cream down on the bedside table. Then, with one last flick and mumble, the duvet from Harry's old bed flew over to them. Draco adjusted the duvet over himself and Harry when it reached them before settling down, pressing one last kiss to his bed-partner's forehead before closing his eyes to rest.

* * *

End of Chapter 10.  
There, I hope everyone...Enjoyed that :)  
As one person asked in a review, I shall give a small update here; there are now seven (that's right, seven) chapters of this story left.  
I have nothing more to say for this time so I won't keep you any longer. Farewell until next week, my dear readers :)

Hugs  
Dream


	11. 7th Jan to 18th Jan 1998

Hi everyone :)

(Sits in a corner, sobbing) What happened to all my reviews? Was last chapter so terrible? Only 10 reviews; as if my week hasn't been sucky enough.  
Thank you to those who were kind enough to leave me their thoughts though. It really does mean the world to me when you review so for you guys that did are letting me know how I'm doing, this chapter's for you :)

* * *

7th January 1998: Morning 

The next morning, when Harry woke up, it wasn't simply because his energy was restored and he no longer needed sleep. It was actually because he had shifted and a sharp pain shooting up from the base of his spine made him freeze in position. A small wince creased his forehead as he slowly tried to settle back down in a more comfortable position again. He still felt rather tired, his limbs felt weak and oddly achy, like they had been stretched for a long time and were still recovering, and he had more aches in places he didn't even realise could ache. Nonetheless, he couldn't stop himself from smiling because he remembered the process which had led to his muscles and lower back aching so.

Harry idly wondered what the time was and started to consider getting up when he felt a stirring from his lover laying next to him. Green eyes glanced to the face of the sleeping blond to the expression which twitched for a moment before the mouth opened and the barest hint of a yawn escaped before Draco had turned his head away to muffle it. When the yawn had stopped and the Malfoy turned his head back towards Harry, his eyes were open and there was a lazy smile on his face.

"Hmm, good morning, love." He hummed happily and he shifted his body enough so he could sling an arm around his bed-mate's waist.

"Good morning."

The blond gave another contented sigh then and brought himself a little closer to Harry. "I think we should spend the rest of the day in bed."

"The other students return today, we have classes this afternoon." Harry reminded him despite the fact he thought the idea of staying in bed for the rest of the day was an awfully good one, if only because he knew moving around would only make various parts of his body ache more than they already did.

"We'll stay in until the last possible minute then, perhaps half an hour before lunch, just enough time to shower and dress." And with that decided, Draco settled back down and promptly shut his eyes again.

A soft smile curved Harry's lips as he copied the Malfoy's example and relaxed again as well. He snuggled against Draco who pressed a kiss to his head in return. If the morning was always like this afterwards, Harry decided that he and Draco would have to couple more often.

* * *

8th January 1998: Afternoon 

Harry was rather surprised by just how quickly he had grown used to Hogwarts not being populated with the other students and he had to admit he rather missed the quiet. With everything back to normal, he once again had to tolerate complete strangers greeting him in the corridors like they were old friends, he had to ignore the stares which still sometimes followed him around (though admittedly not to the extent they had during the first few months) and he had to put up with the level of noise which went hand in hand with several hundred teenagers being gathered in one space. At least there was a safe-haven away from the noise and it was where Harry was currently sitting in with Hermione; the library.

It was the first time they had seen each other since the Gryffindor had left for the Christmas holidays and so, predictably, Hermione was a bit more chatty than she usually was. "So did Draco like the gift you got him?"

"He was very pleased with it." Harry revealed, his eyes not straying from the book in front of him on the table despite the fact he wasn't actually reading it.

"Did Professor Black and Professor Lupin get you anything?"

"They gave me...Heirlooms, from my parents."

That news seemed to calm the girl somewhat, no doubt because of its rather sombre connotation and she paused in her barrage of questions. It wasn't long before she was biting her lip and glancing to her friend a little uncertainly though and only a second or two later and she was speaking again: "You know, Draco and I were talking the night of the Yule Ball, when you were in the Infirmary."

"Hmm." Harry hummed, more as an acknowledgment he had heard than anything else.

"The way you kept beating Ron in chess was quite extraordinary. Some say that chess is a good test of logical intelligence." Hermione paused again, still obviously hesitant about whatever it was she wanted to say. Abruptly, she leaned to the side and brought a book out of her bag. "I found this book during the Christmas holidays when I was out shopping for my parents. I thought you might like it, as a late Christmas present of sorts."

That finally prompted green eyes to glance up from his book and look over to the girl. She was still looking somewhat anxious and holding out the book she had bought with him in mind. Harry accepted it without word, admittedly feeling rather surprised on the inside, not that it was obvious on his face. "An IQ test." He said simply as he read over the title which told him as much.

"I know it's not really a traditional gift," the Gryffindor admitted. "But I thought it would be interesting to see just how smart you are."

"So you wish to study me as one might a Science project?" Harry asked without emotion, his gaze not straying from the book as he opened it and slowly flicked through the pages.

"Oh no Harry! I didn't mean it like that!" Hermione immediately disagreed, sounding anxious. "I just thought it would be something interesting to find out, for you and Draco as well as me."

Harry continued to simply look at the papers. Truthfully, his comment had been in jest but it obviously hadn't been taken that way. Perhaps it was his delivery that needed work. "I have nothing else of significance to do." He murmured as he lay the book out flat before leaning to the side in order to pull a quill and a fresh sheet of parchment from his bag which rested on the floor beside his chair.

"You don't have to do them if you don't want to," the girl continued to needlessly pacify. "I only suggested it because..."

"I would not consent if I was reluctant." Was all Harry said as he interrupted her.

Thankfully, that seemed to give the Gryffindor the hint as she fell silent. She did continue to watch Harry fretfully but she didn't speak and so it was a minor distraction, one which the Slytherin could easily ignore. So, he opened the cover of the book and was confronted with the first question; multiple choice. He found he barely had to think about it before he was able to write down the correct answer. It was only the beginning of the test though, the question would most probably get harder the further along he went.

And so for the minutes after that, Harry got on with the Muggle IQ test in silence while Hermione attempted to do her own school work but found her concentration frequently gravitating towards the stoic youth. The quiet of the library was disturbed only by other students as they moved around them.

Then, the quiet was broken more definitely by the clicking of heels as someone with a swift pace strode in. The clear arrogance of the sound told Harry that it was Draco who had just entered and, a quick glance over to the clock on the other side of the large room confirmed that it was five minutes past the time the Malfoy's class would have ended. Sure enough, the sound of the foot steps drew in closer and Hermione turned back to her essay having looked up at the blond's initial entrance.

"Good afternoon, Malfoy." She greeted him politely when he reached them.

"Granger." Draco nodded in reply before focussing completely on Harry. "Hello, my love." He practically leered as he leaned down and pressed a kiss to Harry's temple. He pulled away slightly once the kiss had been delivered and peered down at Harry's quickly moving quill. "What's that you're doing?"

"It's an IQ test, like I was talking about just before Christmas." Hermione answered on Harry's behalf.

"Ah, so you decided to go along with it." The blond said to Harry. "How is it?"

"Simple."

Draco grinned at the one word answer as he straightened up and moved to sit in the chair which was free beside Harry. "How long has he been doing it?"

"About twenty minutes now." The Gryffindor revealed, glancing over to the clock on the other side of the library.

"How much longer until he'll be finished?"

"Now." Harry said abruptly, catching the attention of both Draco and Hermione. "It is complete."

"You're finished? Already? That's not possible." Hermione said with a shake of her head. "With a hundred questions, it should at least take you an hour at the absolute minimum."

"That does not change the fact that I have already completed it." Harry said simply as he slid the parchment and book over to the girl. "If you are doubtful, feel free to check them."

"It's not that I'm doubting you, Harry, I just don't think you really put your full effort into it." She sighed but turned to the back of the book and began to check the answers nonetheless.

As easy silence settled then as the Gryffindor marked the test and Harry and Draco waited, content to simply sit and not talk. It took about ten minutes in total and the Malfoy was just starting to get shifty and impatient when Hermione's expression took on something other than concentration. She suddenly looked very shocked and rather unnerved as well.

"So, how did he do?" Draco asked with great interest, assuming the girl had finished marking as she lifted her head from the book and parchment and set down her quill.

Hermione could only shake her head, her mouth slightly ajar and her eyes wide. "I...I don't know..."

The blond frowned. "What do you mean you don't know? I thought you said the test was accurate?"

"It is, it is, but..." Her gaze flickered onto Harry. "Your score's off the chart it's so high."

Harry seemed completely uninterested in that fact while Draco seemed unimpressed. "The chart probably isn't high enough then."

The Gryffindor shook her head. "No, it's not that. The chart goes up to two-hundred. Most Muggles considered geniuses have an IQ of around one-hundred and twenty, for Harry to have an IQ of over two-hundred...I'm not sure that's even possible!"

"Are you accusing him of cheating?" Draco asked her sternly.

"Of course not!" She denied, aghast at the accusation. "I'm just...I can't believe it's so high...But I suppose if anyone's going to be so out of the ordinary, it would be Harry."

That seemed to appease Draco who smiled slightly and gazed down at the young man he loved with a sort of pride in his gaze. Hermione continued to look fretful, almost as if the result of the test was something to worry about. All the while, Harry ignored what was going on around him completely. He hadn't needed a test to tell him he was intelligent and he saw no reason to get in a state over just how smart he was. It was just another thing that made him different from others, something he had long ago stopped caring about if he had ever cared about it before.

* * *

14th January 1998: Afternoon 

Divination was always a time of mixed opinions for Harry. Most of the time, he was sceptical of the practise but just when he was thinking about discarding its every merit, something would happen to make him think again and wonder if, perhaps, there was something more at play then mere dramatics and guess work. But such incidents were so brief that he would soon start to doubt again, only for something to happen to keep his interest up. It was a vicious cycle which could be quite irritating at times.

Another thing about Divination that Harry had mixed feelings about what his company during it. Neville Longbottom was his ever constant companion inside the Divination classroom and Harry both appreciated it and was greatly annoyed by it. Longbottom was a pleasant sort of chap who knew when to give up trying to goad Harry into a conversation. The young man was so terribly timid at times though and that was something which exasperated Harry. He saw no point in it and thought that it was merely a weakness which Neville could over come if he put his mind to it. The fact the Gryffindor was still like it at the age of seventeen merely made Harry assume him weak and if there were only two things the Boy-Who-Lived was intolerant of it was bigotry and weakness. He said nothing about it though, knowing to do so would cause nothing but problems and it was really none of his business since he only had to interact with Longbottom four times a week in Divination class.

"Harry?" Neville spoke from where he sat beside the saviour, who was concentrating on a book rather than their assignment of doing Tarot card readings, at their table.

"Yes?"

"What does The Death card mean when it's upside down again?"

"In what context?" Harry inquired, his eyes not leaving the book even once.

"C-context?" The Gryffindor repeated, clearly unsure about what Harry meant.

A light sigh left the Slytherin at that. He considered himself a very patient person and he was confident that a lot of people would agree with him. Neville Longbottom inadvertently managed to always get under his skin though. Harry knew it wasn't on purpose, he would have pointedly told the other young man to go away if he thought for even a moment that the behaviour was intentional. It was just that Neville was a bit...Slow, sometimes needing a bit of a reminder or a bit more explaining. Why he had to ask Harry and not Professor Trelawney though was something the dark haired saviour often pondered.

Despite his worn patience, Harry was fully prepared to answer his classmate's question but was prevented from doing so as Trelawney called their attention to the front of the classroom in her usual eccentric, overly dramatic manner. Harry wasn't sure if having to listen to the woman was any better than having to assist Neville but he turned his gaze to the front along with everyone else nonetheless.

"My apologies for asking that you sever your connections with the beyond, my students," the woman began to speak again once most people were looking at her. "But since we are coming to the end of the lesson, I thought it best to explain to you all your next assignment while we still have time. Following with our recent work on divination with Tarot cards, your assignment will be to do a reading for yourself and then to write an essay on your method and findings. Any layout may be used, allow the energies around to guide you in your decision. You are to record which layout you used and why and also, of course, the result of the reading and how you interpret it..."

"We have to do them by ourselves?" Neville said anxiously, drawing Harry's attention away from Trelawney. "I don't think I know enough to be able to do that."

"Professor Trelawney said nothing to forbid the use of text books or references." The Slytherin pointed out.

Neville said no more after that reassurance and Harry was quite glad for it. He doubted that the Gryffindor had spoken with the intention of fishing for an offer of help but he hadn't wanted the conversation to carry on just in case Neville had come right out and asked. Harry wasn't sure whether he could've remained nonchalant enough to refuse a request asked right out especially from Neville who may have had some annoying personality traits but over-all was a decent person. Just because Harry was stoic, didn't mean he was emotionally cold after all.

* * *

14th January 1998: Evening

Harry sighed very lightly from where he sat with crossed legs on his bed, using one hand to open his text book on Tarot cards and the other to open his borrowed pack of Tarot cards. He thought it best to get the assignment out of the way so he didn't have to think about it anymore. The accompanying essay he would write tomorrow during his free period and so with Draco in the library looking for a book for his Arithmancy, that moment was the perfect time to do the actual reading.

He had chosen one of the simplest layouts he had been able to find, more because he didn't want to spend an age on the reading and the simple ones used only a few cards and little interpretation. The layout he was using was the four points of a diamond, and the question he had chosen to ask was:

"Who is the one trying to kill me?"

He imagined Professor Trelawney would appreciate the dramatic nature. The first three points in the layout represented the situation of the question in the past, present and future (each point representing one time) and then the fourth point was the best advice to go on to get the answer to the question. In this case, it would be the best way for Harry to go about finding out who was trying to kill him. In theory at least, Harry was incredibly sceptical on just how accurate it was all going to turn out to be.

So, he kept that question at the front of his mind as he cut the cards and then shuffled them, repeating two more times before he laid four of them out in a diamond formation in front of him on the bed. The first one was laid face down on the right, then the second on the left, the third above and the fourth and final below. He set the rest of the cards aside when he had finished. Taking up his parchment and quill, Harry settled them on his lap before reaching out and turning over the cards, starting from the first one he put down to the last one. What he found was:

The Devil in the first position, the situation in the past. The card's meaning: violence, extraordinary effort, force, fatality, that which is predestined but is not for this reason evil.

The Moon in the second position, the situation in the present. The card's meaning: hidden enemies, danger, darkness, deception, error.

Justice in the third position, the situation in the future. The card's meaning: equity, rightness, probity.

The Reversed Emperor in the fourth position, the best advice on how to deal with the situation. The card's meaning: benevolence, compassion, confusion to enemies.

Harry's quill flew over the parchment as he jotted down his notes quickly. It was only when he had all the initial information down that he allowed himself to really consider what cards had appeared and what they meant. The more he thought about it, the more it seemed to relate to his life and situation. The card representing the past was quite fitting as a referral to the struggle against Voldemort, and considering that it was no doubt someone who had a connection with Death Eaters who was trying to kill him, it did apply to his current situation and his question. The card representing the present situation also seemed correct; his enemy was certainly keeping themselves hidden very well and was obviously doing so through deception which made things very dangerous for Harry. The card representing the future, well, he couldn't judge the future but everything turning out right and fair couldn't be a bad thing. And the card which gave the best advice, perhaps a bit disconcerting that it was advising him to be benevolent and compassionate at the same time but he thought that confusing his enemies would be a good move.

Now, all of this threw up a very interesting question in Harry's mind. Was it possible that there really was some merit to Divination and the cards were giving him ample warning as to what was going to happen to him? Or was it the more likely scenario in his mind that his knowledge of his own life was colouring how he was reading the cards? He had his own suspicions about the current dangers in his life and perhaps those suspicions were influencing how he interpreted the reading.

There appeared to be no immediate answer to the question of how accurate the reading was and Harry supposed it didn't really matter. He had done the assignment, he would have an essay to hand in and that was all that really mattered. As for whether he should take the cards as a genuine warning or not, to let his guard down would be a completely stupid thing to do at that moment in time anyway and so no warning, real or otherwise, was actually needed.

* * *

15th January 1998: Morning

"Did we have a Potions essay due in today?" Millicent asked as she sat down for breakfast at the Slytherin table with the other Seventh Years.

"No." Draco answered when it became clear Harry was concentrating on stirring his tea and had no intention to answer (not that there had been any real chance of him answering anyway).

"Good, because I didn't do one." She said quite cheerfully, reaching forwards for a piece of toast.

"Don't you think it would've been a more intelligent to have asked that question last night?" Parkinson, who sat to the dark haired girl's left, queried, sounding condescending and superior.

Bulstrode shrugged at that while she loaded her plate with food, still chomping on the toast. "I could've whipped something up. Besides, I'm sure either Draco or Harry would've helped me."

"What makes you so sure?" The Malfoy challenged with a raised eyebrow and Harry paid attention if only because he was curious as to what made the girl so confident he would assist her with school work.

"Because you're my friends." Millicent said sweetly. At Draco's sceptical look, she gave a light huff. "Well, Harry's my friend at least, aren't you Harry?"

"I do not know why you assume such a thing when the fact I address you as Miss Bulstrode implies that I see you as nothing more than an acquaintance." Harry replied to that, his gaze not moving from where it was fixed on his tea cup.

"What's the matter, Potter? Too good for Bulstrode's friendship?" Parkinson sneered nastily.

"It may have escaped your attention but I am not one for friendships."

"Unless they're Gryffindors and Mudbloods of course."

"Those who result to slurs of house and blood do so because they are unable to think of an actual reason to insult a person."

"Are you implying something?" The blonde girl asked dangerously, her eyes narrowing into a harsh glare.

"I would have thought it was quite obvious that I am implying something."

"Well then how about you just come out with it and tell me to my face?"

"Now, now, Parkinson, calm down." Draco drawled then, effectively stopping the ever-heating confrontation. "There's not need to start getting so defensive."

"I'm not going to sit here and let him insult me!" Pansy said indignantly.

It was then that someone from somewhere in the Great Hall decided to note, very loudly, that the mail was arriving. Indeed, owls began to swoop down to various students dotted around the room, delivering letters and parcels. Rather surprisingly, three owls flew down to the older end of the Slytherin table and landed in front of Bulstrode, Parkinson and Goyle. They all quickly freed the envelopes and the birds once again took to the air.

"There, you have mail, concentrate on that." The Malfoy told Pansy carelessly.

"Who'd be writing to you?" Millicent asked with a wrinkled nose as she looked at the envelope the blonde girl was neatly ripping open. "All your relatives are in Azkaban."

"Not that it's any of your business, Bulstrode, but it's from my penpal." Parkinson said with a dark glare.

"I didn't know you had a penpal." Draco said and even if everyone else missed it, Harry caught the hint of suspicion in the Malfoy's tone.

"Well since you decided to terminate our friendship, I'm not in the least surprised by that fact." The blonde girl replied in an icy tone. "And why, might I ask, is everyone so intent on observing my mail? Both Bulstrode and Goyle have received letters and none of you have commented on that."

"My letter's from my maternal grandparents, they're Muggles so they, naturally, weren't caught up in the Death Eater scandal." MIllicent revealed easily.

"Mine's from the Ministry." Goyle grunted, holding up an official looking document. "I have full possession of my parents' stuff since I came of age during the holidays."

"So you see Parkinson, your letter is really the only one that's suspicious." The dark haired girl summed up.

"I don't see why you should think me getting a letter is suspicious." Pansy said, her tone haughty.

"Someone had to have poisoned Harry that night just before the holidays and I think you're the most likely suspect."

All movement and conversation at their end of the Slytherin table stopped and that included a few of the Sixth Years who were sitting within hearing distance. Whether it was because people were shocked by the accusation or whether they simply wanted to hear Parkinson's reaction to it was unclear but Harry watched with disguised interest as the blonde girl seemed to be genuinely shocked at Millicant's words.

"I'm sorry, but what?" Pansy said in an overly controlled voice.

"Well, you're the only one with real motive." Millicant said easily and Harry watched her out of the corner of his eyes as she leaned back in her chair and set a somewhat triumphant stare on the girl opposite her. "Both your parents were Death Eaters and you were well on the way to becoming one. Not to mention you've disliked Harry since the moment you met him and you're clearly jealous about the fact that he's managed to take Draco away from you, someone who you've been firmly attached to for years now." The dark haired girl paused and nodded. "Yeah, as far as I can see, you're the perfect suspect for the attempted poisoning."

The silence in the immediate area resumed and lingered then as everyone awaited Parkinson's reaction with baited breath. Harry's gaze shifted from Millicent to the blonde girl and saw that although there were no tears in her eyes, it was clear Pansy was more than a little upset about the accusation. Perhaps because it was all true and she was scared of being found out. Or maybe it was because one she had thought of as a friend had suddenly turned against her. It could have also been from the sheer disbelief that someone could think her capable of doing such an awful thing as trying to poison a house mate, even if that house mate was Harry Potter.

Those who were waiting for a reply to Bulstrode's accusation found themselves severely disappointed when Parkinson did nothing more than stand up and make her way out of the Great Hall with long, quick strides. Many people watched her leave and when she was out of their sight, a low chatter broke across the Slytherin table.

"Are you all right?" Draco's voice murmured in Harry's right ear then.

"Should I not be?"

"Well, Bulstrode did just accuse Parkinson of being the one who tired to kill you."

"Yes, she did."

"And that doesn't bother you?" The blond checked, sounding surprised.

"Unless Miss Bulstrode has evidence to support her accusations, I believe all to be innocent until proven otherwise." Harry explained, lifting the strength of his voice slightly so that more people may hear. He didn't want a so called witch hunt to break out on his account and he didn't want Parkinson even more ostracised than she had already been that school year.

Glancing across to Bulstrode again, he saw that she looked a little put out by his words and he made sure to file that away at the back of his mind. It was true, everyone was innocent until evidence was produced to prove them guilty but that didn't mean that anyone was free from suspicion. Harry would suspect everyone until the guilty was named and proved beyond reasonable doubt.

* * *

18th January 1998: Afternoon

Ever since he had recovered from his poisoning, Harry had been pushing himself with his wandless practice even more. Although he made sure to always keep his wand on him, he had to admit that he never felt completely comfortable when using it. Wandless magic was just so much more natural for him (and he did realise the strangeness of describing something which required so much effort as feeling natural). That was why he had been determined to master the ability. Perhaps not to his previous ability of being able to use it even within the confines of magical wards but at least to the level of being able to cast the basic spells wandless and wordlessly.

He'd already had some success. The saviour had managed to Accio his wand wordlessly on several occasions and he was also able to summon a Lumos without his wand though he did have to speak the word for the sake of concentration. He wanted to be able to do more which was why he was using his free period that day to practice in his dorm room.

Harry had a theory which might very well come in very handy in the future if he could pull it off. It had come to him when he had been practicing summoning his wand to him. Sometimes, the flight path of the object wasn't clear or could be obstructed. Surely, it would be far more convenient if the object Apparated to a person rather than simply floating/flying? Harry's plan was to try and make his wand Apparate from its spot resting on his bed and into his hand. Was it even possible? He wasn't completely sure but he was going to give it his very best shot.

Despite the hope he felt for his theory to turn out to be a reality, the majority of Harry's mind was very sceptical about his latest attempt working. So, when he held his hand out, concentrating as hard as he could with his eyes tightly shut, and then heard a crack, he was more than shocked. A second later and that shock increased when the sensation of his wand pressing against the palm of his right hand registered in his mind. His eyes flew open and, there it was, his wand in his hand, held in place by his fingers which had automatically curled around it.

For long moments Harry simply stood there, staring down at the wand in his hand with slightly wide eyes (though his expression was as neutral as always). Then, the reality slowly began to sink in and a smile curved the corners of the dark haired youth's lips.

He'd done it! He'd done what he honestly thought would have been impossible. Not only had he wordlessly summoned his wand, he had made it instantaneous! There had been no flight path, it was more like the wand had Apparated into his hand! He couldn't believe he had actually done it! It was incredible! He was so ecstatic, it even beat the day he defeated Voldemort (though that honestly wasn't too surprising considering that "battle" had been woefully anitclimatic). Could he repeat it though? It meant nothing if it couldn't be repeated after all.

Quickly, he moved over to his bed and set the wand down again. Then he resumed his previous position and went to hold his hand out towards the length of wood...But then paused. Perhaps he should test himself? He made up his mind quickly and turned to leave the room. He opened the door and slipped out before closing it again. Outside in the corridor, he held out his hand, closed his eyes and concentrated completely on summoning his wand to his hand.

Time seemed to stretch ridiculously thin. The actual half a minute which passed seemed like so much longer but that was all the time it took for the wand to suddenly appear in his hand with a very quiet pop. Harry's eyes flew open the moment he heard the sound and felt the wood in his palm and he immediately took in the sight of his wand resting in his slightly curved hand. His fingers curled around the length and a slight smile curved his lips.

Success.

* * *

End of Chapter 11.  
Meh, I don't like this chapter. It's got some stuff in it that had to be said and to happen. That's about it. Worst chapter in the story I reckon -.-  
I'm not in the mood to talk so I'll say goodbye to you all for now, see you again next week.

Hugs  
Dream


	12. 14th February 1998

Hi everyone :)

Okay, note to self, next time I'm depressed about the number of reviews I get, keep it to myself XD Seriously though, I didn't mean to annoy or make anyone feel guilty so sorry if I did. It's just that when I don't get an average number of reviews (for this story that's around 21/22) I simply presume that it's because I did something a lot of people didn't like. Big thank yous to everyone who did review last chapter: the nice ones were lovely and the ones having a go at me for moaning about the lack of reviews...Well, they weren't so lovely but they were nevertheless constructive :)  
I will cease chatter for now and allow you all the read the chapter which I think is a Hell of a lot better than the last :)

* * *

14th February 1998: Midday

Harry bit back a sigh as he poured himself a cup of tea at the Slytherin table in the Great Hall. It had been a somewhat lonely morning, mostly because his free periods had to be spent alone as Hermione had classes and Draco's free time was currently taken up with work on an Arithmancy project which was worth a significant amount of his final grade. Harry hadn't seen his blond lover since they had separated at breakfast and it was unlikely that he was going to see him until that evening at dinner as the dark haired youth had Divination that afternoon. Admittedly, Harry wasn't usually one for loneliness and he wasn't sure why he felt it, even to a small degree, at that moment. Perhaps he had underestimated just how used to having company he had become.

Currently, there was no one else at the Seventh Year end of the Slytherin table so at least Harry wasn't having to make small talk with anyone. He so wanted to see Draco though, if only to simply say hello. The fact that it was Valentines Day and everyone else around him seemed to be love-sick didn't help, it just made him miss his Malfoy all the more.

As he took a sip of his tea, Harry heard the flapping of dozens of wings as owls arrived to deliver the second load of mail for the day. He ignored it completely, naturally not expecting anything to come anywhere near him as he was the only one present at his end of the table. So, when an owl did land on the table in front of him, he was both surprised and confused. It took only a glance at the envelope to confirm that it was, indeed, addressed to him and in the familiar, neat scrawl of Draco. The twine holding it to the owl's leg was swiftly removed and the bird immediately flew away. Not even a glance was spared for its departure as Harry began to open the golden-brown envelope.

Inside the envelope was a Valentines card. Harry pulled it out and gave the picture on the front a brief look, hardly even a glance really, before he opened it and read what was inside. He was rather surprised to find Draco's handwriting inside despite the fact the envelope had already told him it was from the blond. He had never mentioned anything about celebrating Valentines day. In fact, Harry had rather got the opinion that the Malfoy wasn't at all bothered with Valentines Day and thought it was a bit of a waste of time. So, to receive a card from him was unexpected, but not entirely unwelcome when a brief note at the bottom requested that Harry meet with Draco in the Astronomy Tower that night after curfew.

Harry and Draco hadn't had the opportunity to be intimate together since the students had returned and the dark haired teenager would readily admit that he missed the blond's sexual touch. The feelings he had felt that night still lingered in his mind and he longed to feel them again, to feel that close to Draco again. Perhaps that's what the Malfoy had planned; some alone time away from prying eyes where they could delight in each other's bodies again. It was a very appealing thought and Harry immediately felt a small thrill of anticipation shiver up his spine.

Smiling very slightly, Harry closed the card, replaced it in its envelope and then put it into his bag. He would go to the Astronomy Tower after curfew and he would spend the rest of the day anticipating it.

* * *

14th February 1998: Afternoon

With Divination over, Harry was looking forward to heading to his dorm room with the hope that Draco might be there to at least say hello to. Not speaking or even seeing the Malfoy for an entire day was harder than he had first thought it would be and he wanted nothing more than to be in the blond's arms, if only for a moment. So, he walked through corridors with a slightly hurried pace, easily side-stepping around people he encountered along the way. He had to stop eventually however when he turned a corner and narrowly escaped smacking face first into Millicent Bulstrode. Both he and the girl stopped themselves in time though and instead came to an abrupt stand-still centimetres away from each other.

"Oh, sorry about that, Harry." She said with a slight smile.

"I am at fault as much as you." Harry replied as he stepped around Millicent, intending to continue on his way.

"In a hurry to find Draco?" Bulstrode inquired, obviously kindly amused by it. "Can't wait until tonight to see him, hmm?"

Harry stopped then, a spike of suspicion running through him. He had told no one about his Valentine from Draco with the request to meet him that night, so Bulstrode's words were initially alarming. However, when he thought about it more, he realised she could just be referring to the fact that he and the blond shared a dorm room. He glanced over his shoulder to look at the girl and she offered another smile.

"I know it's nothing to do with me really, but I just wanted to say that I'm really glad you're making an effort with Draco."

"Making an effort?" Harry echoed, confused by what she meant exactly.

"With your surprise for him this evening, in the Room of Requirement." Millicent revealed, also apparently confused with Harry's confusion. Upon seeing the young man's expression switch to surprise, she instantly gave a silent gasp before launching into an apology. "Oh, I hope I haven't embarrassed you! And don't think it was Draco who told me; it wasn't! I just, I was with him when he found the card you put in his bag and I couldn't help but catch a glance of what you had written inside!"

"Do not concern yourself." Harry assured her gently, his tone calm despite the fact his mind was swirling with too many thoughts to describe. "I am...Grateful that you have given me your support."

Millicent seemed to be genuinely reassured by that and she gave a rather shy smile. "I'll, uh, just leave you to yourself then." She said quietly before turning and hurrying off in the direction she had originally been heading in.

Harry stared at the spot the girl had been standing in, even long after she had left, the cogs in his mind were working over-time. Draco had received a Valentine from someone claiming to be himself; that was certainly very suspicious. It made Harry rethink the Valentine he had been delivered that lunch time and he flipped open his bag so that he could pull out the envelope and card which he hadn't had a chance to put away. He pulled the card out of the envelope, opened it and waved his hands over the writing. He only felt mild shock when he saw Draco's writing reshape into the straight, sharp lines of an unfamiliar form. Inwardly, the young saviour cursed himself; he should've thought to check for spells when he first got it. He simply saw Draco's handwriting and assumed...

So his opponent had finally made another move after nearly two months of nothing, and what a move it was. An attempt to trap both Harry and Draco which may well have worked if not for Bulstrode's comment. But that was nothing to dwell on. Harry was aware of the con and could therefore begin to plan a counter attack. 

Replacing the fake Valentine in his bag, he turned to head back in the direction he had just come from. It appeared he was forced to change his plans for the coming afternoon. Instead of seeking out Draco, he would retreat to the library to find a quiet corner where he could sit undisturbed and think. He had only six hours to formulate a plan; it was going to be a close-call.

* * *

14th February 1998: Evening

After many hours of sitting perfectly still, simply thinking, Harry had formulated his plan of action. He wasn't sure just how well it was going to work out but he was confident about one thing; it would keep Draco completely out of harm's way, and that was what was most important to him. No matter what happened, as long as his blond remained unharmed then all was well.

It was a fairly simple plan. He would confront those who sent the Valentines before Draco was due to turn up. That was the bare bones of the whole plan, there was more to it than that naturally, but that was the gist. He had actually decided on the plan relatively quickly, it had been easy enough to concoct, it was the details he had struggled with, one detail especially.

While Harry was expected at the Astronomy Tower, Draco would be expected at the Room of Requirement. That meant there would be two groups of enemies in two different places. Harry, ideally, needed them all in the same place at the same time. So, the easiest solution he had found was to allow the group in the Astronomy Tower to think they had done their job so that they would most likely return to their comrades who would await Draco. If this was to be pulled off safely, Harry naturally couldn't let himself be hurt which meant he was in need of a double.

How best to create a double though?

That had been the one detail he had struggled with most of all. He had literally spent a good two or three hours thinking of nothing else. Eventually, after going over everything he knew, he remembered a suitable spell which would work adequately for him. Immediately he had retreated to his dorm room, knowing it would be empty as the rest of the school was in the Great Hall for dinner. He would eat later, before he put his plan into action but after he had placed down all the necessary pieces.

At that moment, Harry was quite intently feeling up a section of the wall in his dorm room, and at first glance it appeared that he was searching for something. However, when he backed away and simply stared at the wall, it was obvious that he was appraising it for some purpose. After a moment of looking, he smoothed his hands over the wall as though to check its texture before backing away once again. That seemed to satisfy him because he stepped forward one last time before closing his eyes, his face taking on an expression of deep concentration.

The concentration became a frown before the frown became a grimace of effort as he obviously struggled with whatever it was he was trying to do. Eventually, however, his hard work evidently paid off and the section of wall in front of him transfigured into a mirror. Harry's grimace immediately broke and he took on a more relaxed, relieved pose and expression. His eyes remained shut as he took in a deep breath before he looked at the wall he had been so focussed on just a few moments prior. A section of the stone wall had turned into a mirror, stretched from the ceiling to the floor and about a metre across. Harry's entire body, from his head to his feet, was reflected back in the polished glass.

Harry took a few soothing breaths before raising his right arm and gently touching the surface of the mirror with just his fingertips. Then, he simply stood there for long moments, staring his reflection in the eye the entire time, only their blinks breaking the gaze. Then, finally, the surface of the mirror began to ripple from the points where the pale fingers touched it and Harry curled his fingers forwards so that they travelled through the glass. Identical fingers came out from the mirror in return and laced with Harry's own. When the two sets of fingers were laced together completely, he took a step backwards. Joined at the hand, Harry's reflection stepped out of the mirror and joined him in reality, leaving the reflective glass empty of the saviour's image.

Connected by their still laced fingers, Harry continued to stare his solidified reflection in the eyes. The reflection seemed confused with where he was for a moment and looked around itself with a bemused expression. Eventually, whether it had figured everything out or it had simply decided to let the issue go, it met Harry's gaze again and offered a bright smile of the sort Harry had never, nor probably would ever, smile. Its smile faded after a minute or two and it gazed at the real Harry with a light, slightly worried, frown.

"I have a task for you." Harry told the exact mirror image of himself.

The replica's expression became serious then and it gave a simple, firm nod.

* * *

14th February 1998: Night

If anyone was ever able to, essentially, watch themselves die and feel no emotional reaction of any kind, then it was Harry. From where he stood in a corner of the Astronomy Tower, concealed underneath his father's invisibility cloak, the stoic youth didn't even feel mildly unnerved by the sight of himself crumbling under the impact of the green light which had shot forth from the wands of the three Death Eaters who stood at the room's entrance. He could have been watching a Quidditch match for all the interest that showed on his face and even on the inside he felt nothing more than calm reassurance that everything was going according to plan.

He and his solid reflection had arrived at the Astronomy Tower at least an hour before they had been due and while the reflection had gone to stand by one of the alcoves, the actual Harry had retreated to an out-of-the-way corner, covered himself with the invisibility cloak and then proceeded to wait. It was Death Eaters who entered the tower forty-five minutes later and Harry couldn't bring himself to feel too surprised. It was only common sense to expect that not every single Death Eater had been arrested and sent to Azkaban and were in hiding, because they couldn't be escapees as there had been no reports of a break-out in the papers.

There were three of them, one obviously a woman as she was much shorter than the other two. They had all hesitated quite a bit upon entering, no doubt surprised to find Harry waiting for them. If the situation had been real and unplanned, Harry would have had plenty of time to notice the threat and take up a defense. As it was, the reflection remained staring out at the world below and left the Death Eaters to re-gather their wits and cast a simultaneous Killing Curse.

With Harry's reflection now slumped on the floor lifelessly, the three Death Eaters lowered their wands and turned to look at each other. "What should we do now, do you think?" One of the males asked.

"Leave the body here, it'll only slow us down." The female said. "Let's meet up with the others; it's doubtful the Malfoy brat will put up much of a fight but it's better to be safe than sorry."

"He'll probably kill himself when he hears his precious Potter's dead." The second man sneered. "I can't believe that kid was the one who killed the Dark Lord, it was pitiful the ease he went down."

"Yeah, well don't knock it, we got off easy if you ask me. Now c'mon," the burlier, larger man said. "We better hurry or else Malfoy will show up before we do." With that, the three Death Eaters left.

Harry watched them go and remained watching after them for a few seconds after they'd left. Then, pulling down the hood of the invisibility cloak as he went, he hurried over to his reflection which was just starting to push itself back onto its feet. "Alert the headmistress." He advised his replica.

The reflection nodded as soon as it was standing again and started to leave immediately. Harry brought the hood of the cloak over his head again and followed on behind, swiftly leaving the Astronomy Tower and running through the corridors which followed in an attempt to catch up to the Death Eaters who had had quite a head start. Fortunately, the adults in black cloaks seemed to be going slowly, no doubt so they didn't inadvertently run head first into trouble. Upon locating them, Harry was quite able to easily trail after them. He followed through the various corridors before they reached their destination.

From a safe distance, but not too far away, the invisible young man watched as the three Death Eaters revealed the door to the Room of Requirement. When the adults began to enter, Harry rushed in after them, managing to slip in sandwiched between two of them, still going completely unnoticed. He was away and over in a corner the first moment he got and from there he took a moment to observe the others in the room.

"What are you doing here?" One of the Death Eaters already present in the room, a male, demanded of the three who Harry had just entered with.

"We've taken care of Potter." The female of the group answered.

"Already?"

"He was in there when we arrived; we were able to just get him in the back." The burlier of the men explained.

"And he was dead?"

"He got hit with three simultaneous Killing Curses; I don't think there was much chance of him still being alive."

"He survived it once, I see no reason why he couldn't have survived it again. You should've checked the body to make sure he was dead."

"Or perhaps you should have checked whether you were alone or not." Harry spoke then, pushing the invisibility cloak from around his shoulders so it pooled on the floor and left him in plain view.

The five Death Eaters all turned to look at him and Harry didn't need to see the faces behind the masks to know that each and every one of them was stunned by his sudden appearance. No one moved or spoke immediately until Harry drew his wand and started to move forward slowly.

"I assumed whatever you needed to discuss with Draco could be discussed with me." He said tonelessly, his wand trained on one of the Death Eaters who all backed up accordingly.

"How...We just saw you die!" One of the other Death Eaters, standing over to the left, exclaimed.

"Vision can be deceptive, as the false Valentines you sent out are proof of." The saviour told them pointedly before focussing on one in front of him solely. "Now, tell me, who allowed you through the school's wards?"

The Death Eater glanced around to his companions a little nervously before his eyes returned to the Wizarding world's saviour. "It was Millicent Bulstrode."

"A lie; try again." The teenager said without emotion as he advanced a pace towards the man he had his wand levelled on.

"I'm telling you, it was Bulstrode!" He insisted.

"It was because of her that I discovered your plot."

"Then she's double-crossed us all because it was..."

"It was Pansy Parkinson." One of the other Death Eaters spoke up then, drawing the attention of everyone.

"What!" The third and fourth adults cried, aghast.

"Crabbe, you lying bastard!" The female of the two exclaimed.

"How dare you accuse our daughter!" The male snapped angrily. "Perhaps we should talk about the role your son played in all of this."

"My son has no involvement in this and you know it!" The Death Eater who had originally accused Pansy yelled.

"Neither does our daughter but you accused her readily enough!" Mrs Parkinson retorted.

"Enough!" Harry said in a raised tone and effectively brought everyone to silence. "I have better things to do with my time than stand here and listen to the proof that a Death Eater's loyalty is to no one but themselves. Whether or not you tell the truth is irrelevant, your accomplice will be found and will join you in Azkaban."

"We're not going to Azkaban." Crabbe disagreed and started to draw closer to the dark haired saviour.

Green eyes flickered from the burly Death Eater to all the others who had also started to advance on him. "You plan on escaping; do you think I will let that happen?" He asked, his tone as emotionless as always, as he slowly backed away towards the wall the entrance appeared in.

"You won't be able to stop us if you're dead." One of the nameless Death Eaters sneered.

"I have no intention of dying for quite some time."

"You don't have a choice in the matter. Avada Kedavra!" Mr Parkinson suddenly yelled, green light shooting from the tip of his wand and hurtling towards Harry.

Somehow, Harry managed to dive out of the way of the spell just in time to have it miss him by mere centimetres. It was with that movement that the five Death Eaters sprung into action as well. All manner of spells started to shoot around the room, most missing and the ones hitting not doing much difference. Harry was unable to do much attacking as he had to concentrate on defending himself. It was one against five, but it was extremely impressive just how many spells he was able to deflect. The smallest of mistakes, however, and it would ruin everything.

The mistake, which was bound to come eventually, came about six minutes into the whole five-against-one fight. Harry may have been magically strong but he was physically weak and all the dodging and darting about took its toll, making his limbs tired and heavy. His pace gradually slowed and, thusly, before he could move his body out of the way, a spell of some sort hit the hand he held his wand in and it immediately went completely numb. Fingers and muscles went lax and the length of wood fell uselessly from Harry's hand. Of course, Harry being Harry, not having a wand was hardly a disadvantage but before he could cast anything, one of the Death Eaters took advantage of his "disadvantage".

The Death Eater paused, pointed and then spoke: "Crucio!"

Time seemed to slow then for Harry as the mere seconds it took for the spell to reach and then hit seemed to linger like hours. But then, when the spell did hit and the pain began, time returned to normal in an instant. A positively bone-chilling scream rushed through Harry as he fell to his knees. His body always felt sensation more than others probably did and so he currently felt like he was dying. He was lost in the pain, only knowing the terrible sensation running throughout him.

He couldn't even pretend to know how many minutes passed then before the spell was finally released. All he knew was that one moment he had been in complete agony and the next it was gone leaving behind a bone-creaking ache. His final scream left him with a whimper as his body slumped, no strength left in it. He just about managed to open his eyes and was surprised to see that the entrance into the Room of Requirement had appeared once again and was why the spell on him had ended. All the Death Eaters had turned to the door and had their wands trained on it. Despite his pain, a small smirk curved the right side of Harry's mouth as he knew he was saved.

The door started to open and the Death Eaters shifted into a more suitable position to attack. However, when the door was fully open to reveal another Harry, the adults were too shocked to react which was their fatal mistake. In the split second they hesitated in their attack, it allowed the second Harry to step aside and allow Sirius, Remus, Professor McGonagall and three other professors to rush in and start casting spells.

As the adults fought, the reflection of Harry hurried over to the real one who was still laying on the floor, his eyes now closed again. However, he opened his eyes upon the arrival of his reflection and he gazed up to see himself looking down at him in concern. "Well done." He murmured hoarsely. His reflection seemed pleased with that praise as it offered a bright smile, once again much brighter than the actual Harry had ever smiled.

The battle between the adults turned out to be a very short one, more of a scuffle than a battle really, and within a couple of minutes, all the Death Eaters were stunned or bound with their wands taken a safe distance away. With the immediate threat dealt with, everyone turned their attention to the two Harrys. At first they all just stared, obviously confused as the reflection of Harry wouldn't have been able to explain anything to them It was Sirius and Remus who broke the stillness, rushing over to their godson, the reflection moving out of the way as they approached.

"Merlin, Harry, that was you screaming?" Remus gasped as Sirius fell to his knees beside the fallen young man.

"What did they do to you?" The dark haired man asked as he gently helped Harry to sit up.

The young man gasped and cringed as his muscles and bones protested at the movement and it took a moment for him to compose himself once more in order to answer Sirius' question. "The Cruciatus." He had to almost whisper as he realised his throat was quite raw from his cries. "I do not know how long for."

"We better get him to the Infirmary." Remus spoke then and Harry was then painfully heaved up into Sirius' arms. "Poppy will be able to give him something for the pain and make sure no more damage has been caused."

"Must you?" Harry groaned lightly. "I dislike that place intensely."

"Is it the place you dislike or the person there?" Sirius asked, a clear grin in his voice.

"Both." The teenager sighed and made both men chuckle. Although he was still in pain, that sound made him fee lighter somehow and he made no more complaint as his godfather carried him out of the room, leaving behind the Death Eaters and the other professors who would deal with them. The reflection trailed after them until the real Harry turned his attention onto it. "Go and alert Draco of the situation." He instructed quietly and the reflection nodded before quickly running ahead.

"How did you make that second version of yourself?" Remus inquired curiously as the reflection disappeared around a corner. "Why doesn't it speak?"

"It is my reflection, I pulled it from a mirror. It is simply that, nothing more." Harry explained, allowing his eyes to close as he spoke and rested his head against his godfather's chest.

"What spell did you use? I've never heard of anything like that before." The Potions professor continued to query.

"I do not know. I simply have the knowledge that it is possible; the incantation and such are unknown to me."

"How is that possible?"

"Much of what I know I learnt when in incubation. I know how to do it and so I do, how it happens exactly has never been a concern of mine."

"Perhaps it's just something you can do, an affect of the incubation period." Sirius suggested.

"No," Harry disagreed. "I can do nothing that any other witch or wizard with sufficient magical strength cannot do either."

Remus sighed then. "You certainly are a mystery Harry, I wonder if we'll ever figure you out completely."

Harry saw no reason to reply to such a statement and instead allowed himself to fall out of the conversation. Although he never quite fell completely asleep, he did doze off and the last thing he was completely aware of was the kiss which was pressed to his forehead.

* * *

End of Chapter 12.  
This chapter gets a thumbs up from me (which regulars will know is pretty rare XD). I enjoyed writing it and I think it came out well. I hope you all agree :)  
Right, I have nothing more to say for now so I'm going to toddle off. See you all next week.

Hugs  
Dream


	13. 15th Feb to 25th Feb 1998

Hi everyone :)

As always, thank you to everyone who left a review to let me know how much you enjoyed the last chapter. It's always satisfying and encouraging to hear when people like the ideas you come up with :)  
I don't have anything else to say for the moment so I'll leave you all to this chapter.  


* * *

15th February 1998: Early Morning

Sitting in a plush chair, Sirius and Remus standing either side, Harry watched as the five Death Eaters were properly restrained by the team of Aurors who had arrived mere minutes ago. It was a quarter to one in the morning and Harry not only wanted to go to bed but he also ached terribly from the Cruciatus curse he had suffered. Although he had been dosed with a potion specially made to counter the lingering effects of the curse, he was still in quite a bit of pain, hence sitting down while everyone else in the room stood. As well as himself and his two guardians, Professor McGonagall was also present and there were two Aurors; one female, one male.

"All right, Tonks," the male, with skin as dark as chocolate, spoke to the woman. "Take the first Death Eater through the Floo."

The woman simply nodded before moving over to the nearest Death Eater to her. She took the man's arm and fairly dragged him over to the fire place, taking a handful of powder as she did so. After staggering into the opening as she tripped on the low grating around the fire place's base (and probably would've fallen over completely had the Death Eater not proved to be a sturdy enough support for her), she clearly called her destination, Azkaban prison. Green flames surrounded her and the Death Eater and in an instant, they had vanished from the room. Now, they had to wait for her to return to take the next one.

"What will happen to them now?" Harry inquired as everyone watched the four remaining Death Eaters very carefully.

"They'll be held in Azkaban to await questioning and then until they have to appear in front of the Wizengamort. That's just a formality though, there's not a chance they won't be found guilty." Sirius explained just as the fire-place flared and the woman entered once again.

"Why do they need to be questioned?"

"We might be able to get some information out of them." The male Auror said quietly in an attempt to limit the chance that the Death Eaters in question could over-hear. "There might be other Death Eaters out there after all, and, of course, there's the question of who it was, exactly, who let them into Hogwarts."

"Their information is of no use," Harry pointed out in his usual monotone. "I asked them myself. They did not initially tell me the truth and then they all quickly began to simply accuse the children of those they have grudges against."

"Will you try Veritiserum, Kingsley?" Remus asked, glancing to the male Auror as the female one left with another Death Eater.

"They're Death Eaters; if anyone's been trained to shake off the effect of Veritiserum it'll be them." Kingsley paused then an gave a small but heavy sigh. "We might never get the truth out of them but at least we can lock them away so they're no longer a threat."

"They're not the only threat though." Sirius said darkly. "As you said, someone let them into the school's grounds and until we find them, they're free to try and kill Harry again."

"Perhaps it would be wise to rearrange Harry's sleeping arrangements." Remus suggested calmly. "After all, it's more than likely that the threat is Slytherin."

"That is bias." The dark haired youth criticised.

"Not unfounded though." The Potions professor defended.

"I think it's a good idea." Kingsley agreed. "Give him the Slytherin Head Boy room; it's out of the way and extra wards can be put up for protection."

"Draco shall come with me." Harry said by way of negotiation. "He too is in danger."

The Auror gave a small sigh again. "Yeah, well, I suppose." He admitted reluctantly.

"There wouldn't be enough space in that room for two beds." Sirius pointed out, obviously not keen on the idea of his godson sharing a room with no one else but the Malfoy.

Harry said nothing to that at first but simply turned his gaze onto his godfather. He gave the man a calculating look for several moments before looking away once again and speaking. "We have not had separate beds in months, so that will not be a problem."

Sirius, apparently, was quite startled by that as he didn't say anything and looked quite surprised by the information. He may have started to yell, as he seemed to always do when Harry did something with Draco the man didn't approve of, but the pacifying hand of Remus came to settle on the ebony haired man's shoulder. It was something Harry was thankful for. He really didn't feel up for an argument with his godfather and he would definitely argue the case of having a private room with Draco if only because it meant they would be able to be intimate once again.

* * *

16th February 1998: Night

The previous night had been spent the Infirmary as all had agreed it was better to be safe than sorry, not only because of the lingering pain Harry felt but also because the main line of thought was now that the Slytherin dungeons were dangerous. The next morning, both Harry and Draco were allowed the day off from classes in order to move into the Head Boy rooms. That really only took a couple of hours but the two young men spent the rest of the day by themselves, only leaving the safety of the room for meals and they only did that because Harry wanted Hermione to see him so she knew he was all right.

Now it was evening and the lovers were getting ready to go to bed. Or, at least, they had been until they had decided they wanted to take a bath together.

"I wish we could stay here forever." Draco sighed, his voice completely relaxed. He was lounging in the bath tub, his eyes closed and his arms wrapped around Harry who lounged back against his chest. "Even if we got all pruned, at least there's no one trying to kill us here."

"We cannot hide from reality." Harry murmured in reply.

"I know, but I can dream about it. Who do you think it is? The one who helped the Death Eaters."

"It is hard to say, though I think it almost certain that the one responsible is in the Slytherin Seventh Year."

Draco gave a sad sigh at that. "And to think I once called them my friends."

"As time changes, so do people. The children you were once friends with have grown and matured, becoming different people. Just as their changes have distressed you, your changes have distressed others."

"I haven't distressed anyone."

"I believe Miss Parkinson would disagree."

"Oh, her."

"You were once close to her."

"I suppose."

"You do not think so?"

"We were close," Draco admitted, sounding incredibly reluctant. "But she was always more fond of me than I was of her. She admired me, thought I could do no wrong, did things for me; I liked that, that's the main reason I kept her around."

"How cruel of you to never tell her as such." Harry murmured, sounding more thoughtful than disapproving.

"Believe me, it's easier not to tell her. That way, she remains content thinking you stole me away from her with your ravishing beauty."

Harry paused at the compliment. It was the sort of comment the Malfoy obviously enjoyed giving him which was terribly odd in the dark haired youth's opinion. He had never been particularly aware of his body until Draco had started to comment on it. To Harry, it served as nothing more than a tool and not a particularly effective one at that as he was in no denial over how physically weak he was. But when he was under Draco's scrutiny, he realised that his body was desired, despite the fact he couldn't understand what the Malfoy found attractive about it.

"I know what you're thinking," Draco murmured as he leaned forward and pressed his lips against the pale column of flesh which was Harry's neck. "And I'm going to tell you to stop it. You're beautiful, never forget that and never doubt it."

Harry couldn't stop the smile which played across his face at the words and he allowed his eyes to close as his best friend began to place light, fleeting, butterfly kisses up the length of his neck. When the moist heat of a tongue skated across his pulse-point, the smaller young man shivered in delight and gave a very light gasp. The lips against his neck curved into a smile (or was it a smirk?) and the attentions to his sensitive flesh were continued with great enthusiasm. Only when he was satisfied he knew every millimetre of Harry's neck did Draco stop his ministrations and move his head away. Harry wasn't sure whether to be relieved or disappointed.

"Now we have our own room, we should bathe together more often." Draco said as he idly ran his finger-tips up and down the part of Harry's arm which was above the surface of the water. "At least three times a week I think."

"Do you not think that a little excessive?" Harry murmured, sounding half asleep, his eyes still shut and his head turned to the side so his cheek rested against the blond's chest.

"You don't want to?" The Malfoy asked, holding the smaller form in place with one hand as he reached to the side in order to pick up a natural sponge which was settled in a little indentation in the wall directly beside the bath.

"I have no preference."

"Your enthusiasm overwhelms me." Draco grinned sarcastically as he dunked the sponge into the hot, bubbly water. He then brought the sponge back out and began to tenderly wash Harry's chest. "I sometimes wonder if you love me at all." He sighed, clearly being intentionally over-dramatic.

"You are correct to doubt," Harry murmured, an amused smile spreading across his face as he spoke. "I am only after you for your fortune and attractive appearance."

That tickled Draco far more than Harry could have ever predicted and the blond immediately started to laugh in earnest. The movement of the sponge paused as Draco laughed and Harry delighted in the vibrations which ran through the Malfoy's chest and into his own back. Eventually, the blond calmed himself and gave a content sigh as he abandoned the sponge and started to use his hands on Harry's chest instead.

"You can be very funny when you put your mind to it, you know?"

Harry only managed to smile at the compliment before the sensation of blunt nails dragging up his sides and then over his nipples caused him to practically melt. A soft, sensual chuckle tickled the shell of his right ear before a light lick on the lobe made his heart speed up slightly. There were no more words after that.

Every touch Draco gifted Harry with sent little jolts of pleasure through his body and he couldn't stop himself from undulating against the hands which ran over his chest, his stomach, neck, arms, the outer sides of his thighs as well as the insides. Those graceful, slightly roughened fingers tormented the saviour who always seemed to feel any sensation more significantly than another might. Even the simple, though admittedly intimate, touches were enough to arouse Harry and when Draco's fingers merely brushed against his hardening length, quite by accident, he couldn't help but give an audible gasp at the sudden, more defined pleasure. The blond's lips once again curved into a smirk against Harry's neck and Draco's hands began to focus solely on his lover's arousal, one hand lazily stimulated the erection while the other slipped down and under so the pad of a single finger could skate teasingly over the entrance there.

Harry was torn between scooting further up to allow better access to his erection or to slide down and spread his legs to expose more of his entrance. Eventually, he managed a compromise between the two; he shifted himself up a little further and hooked one leg up and out of the bath so more of him was exposed. By doing this, he felt that Draco was also obviously aroused and his erection was pressing up against the small of his back. Harry wanted to reciprocate the pleasure but he wasn't sure how to go about it, especially considering the confined space in which he had to work. It turned out that Draco was more than happy with simply rutting against the small of Harry's back though as the blond started a steady thrust and moments later had his head buried in his lover's neck which stifled the moan he felt the need to voice. It was clear that the Malfoy was concentrating more on Harry than himself as his hip movements never got past light and slow while the movements of his hands could only be described as enthusiastic. His hand moved smoothly up and over and down Harry's shaft while a finger breached the hole, pushing past the initial ring of muscle and going straight for the prostate.

Caught somewhere between needing to breathe but not having the focus to do so, Harry leaned his head back on Draco's shoulder, eyes rolling back in his head, and struggled with a regular breathing pattern, one minute gasping in ragged pants and the next not breathing at all. His neck was kissed and nipped as Draco's hands continued to work his body to bring the most delightful of pleasures. With such relentless stimulation both outside and in, it wasn't long before Harry fell over the edge. He didn't have the breath to make noise and so all that came from his mouth was a sort of stuttered gasp as he released into the warm bath water. The hand around his length continued to milk him and the finger inside him continued to stimulate his prostate until it started to become too much.

"Please," Harry somehow managed to gasp out despite the fact he was barely breathing. "No more. It is too much, no more."

Draco's hands slowed to a gradual stop at that plea and within a minute, Harry was allowed to lay against the blond as he came down from his sexual high. He finally began to breathe normally again and his racing heart beat evened out into something more restful. Reality seemed to disappear for a few seconds and when it returned, the knowledge that there was something very hard and very hot pressing against his lower back returned to Harry as well.

"Do you wish for me to...Reciprocate?"

"You don't have to." Draco reassured lightly.

"And if I wanted to?"

The Malfoy didn't answer straight away but it only took a few seconds for a reply to come. "If you really wanted to then I wouldn't say no. I won't ask you though, it's your decision."

Harry remained silent and still as he contemplated Draco's words. He'd never actually done anything to Draco before, it had either been a mutual thing of it had been Draco doing everything for him. Was that terribly selfish? Draco didn't seem to mind, but it was selfish, wasn't it? To continue to accept such wonderful pleasures and to never return the favour? Harry didn't have a clue as to how to go about such things but that was no excuse. He didn't want to be selfish, he didn't want to deprive Draco of such wonderful sensations.

"I want to." The stoic young man assured, his voice gentle and quiet.

"You're sure?"

"Yes."

"You don't have to."

"I know."

"Just making sure."

Harry turned his head slightly so he could look at the blond young man he was leaning against. "Do you not wish for me to reciprocate?"

Draco's cheeks, which were already slightly pinkened from the heat around them, darkened slight with embarrassment. "Uh, no, it's not that, I definitely won't stop you, it's just, I don't want you to feel obliged to do something you're not comfortable with."

"I see..." Harry said unsurely despite the fact he didn't quite understand what all the fuss was about.

"Harry, I only want you to touch me if that's what you want." Draco said by way of clarification, bringing a hand up to idly run his fingers across one of Harry's cheeks in a simple display of affection.

"I want to." He reassured. "I may not know what to do, but I want you to experience the same sort of pleasure you give me so readily."

"All right then, if you're sure."

Harry only gave a final nod before shifting forward in the water and turning around so he was facing his blond lover. He wasted no time in getting straight to the point and plunged right in, his hand disappearing under the bubble-topped water and seeking out Draco's firm arousal below. Feeling it, he brushed the tips of his fingers along it once or twice, getting a feel for it, before wrapping them around the length and starting to pump it gently.

After a couple of moments doing simply that, Harry glanced up and noticed that Draco had a look on his face which was a cross between pure bliss and utter frustration. That wasn't right, did that mean he was doing something wrong?

"Is this right?" He asked quietly. "This angle feels..."

"Tighten you grip," Draco immediately instructed as though Harry's inquiry was permission to tell him what to do. "That's it." He gasped upon Harry doing as he was told. "Harder, and just let me move through it."

The Malfoy covered the tentative hand with his own, adjusted the angle to his suiting and immediately orgasmed after only a few strokes. Harry's hand flew open in surprise but Draco closed it back firmly over the shaft, guiding Harry to milk him until the lush spurts had stopped. Harry put up no further protest and continued with the guided movements until the blond released his hand which he took as a sign that it was all right to stop now. Slowly, he pulled his hand away from Draco's flesh and while the Malfoy lay there panting, Harry brought his hand up closer to his face to inspect the sticky substance which had released from his lover's body.

He was aware of Draco's eyes on him but he ignored that in favour of concentrating on the seed. A light sniff was allowed before Harry gave the stuff a tentative lick, just the tip of his tongue skating across and picking some of the cum up with it. A groan came from Draco and Harry flickered his gaze onto the Malfoy who was looking at him with undisguised lust in his eyes.

"Merlin, if you could see yourself," he practically moaned. "I've never seen anything more arousing than that."

Harry didn't understand how what he had just done could be so arousing but he chose not to comment on that. He washed his hand off in the water before standing and stepping out of the bath. He took a towel from the side and wrapped it around himself, all the time aware that Draco was still staring at him.

After running the towel over his face a few times, he turned to look at the blond over his shoulder. "Is there a reason you are simply sitting there and staring at me?"

"Just enjoying the view." Draco leered.

"Enjoy it while drying yourself off." Harry advised as he leaned over to pull out the plug in the bath. "You will catch a cold if you stay in there much longer."

As Draco got out of the bath then, Harry finished drying himself off. It was just as he draped the towel over his shoulders, intending to dry his back to finish off, that Draco came right up behind him, wrapping his dripping wet arms around his torso. A scolding for getting him wet again was on the very tip of Harry's tongue but it died without ever being spoken when the blond spoke first.

"I love you so much."

Harry's heart fluttered and his eyes instantly softened as he brought his right hand up to rest on one of the arms which held him so close. "As I love you." He returned gently.

* * *

25th February 1998: Afternoon

"Good afternoon, Harry, Malfoy." Hermione greeted the two Slytherins with a smile as she sat herself at the table beside them, to the left, in the Potions classroom.

"Good afternoon, Hermione." Harry returned the greeting while Draco simply nodded to the girl.

"How was your Divination lesson thing more?"

"Tiresome. If you do not possess a certain ability, staring into a cloudy crystal ball will do little more than strain your eyes."

"I still say you should start skipping the lessons." Draco joined in the conversation then. "You know more than enough to get a good mark in your NEWTS."

Harry turned to look at the blond. "As I have told you before, to skip lessons without good reason would be rude and imply that Professor Trelawney is a less than adequate teacher."

"She is a less than adequate teacher." Draco smirked.

"But it would be cruel to let her know as such." Was all Harry replied with before a greeting came from behind them all.

"Hello, Harry, hello, Draco." Millicent's voice spoke happily.

The two young men who were addressed and the Gryffindor girl turned then, most probably to return the greeting. However, when they all saw that the ebony haired girl was accompanied by Pansy Parkinson, all words of greeting died an early death. Parkinson didn't even take Potions and yet there she was, settling in a seat beside Bulstrode.

"Why are you in here?" Draco asked the blonde girl, his tone clearly hostile.

"Not that it's any of your business but my lesson was cancelled and Millicent suggested I sit in class with her." Pansy replied, matching the other blond's hostility perfectly.

"And since when have you been chummy enough with Bulstrode to want to spend extra time with her?"

"Millicent and I are fine friends." The blonde girl insisted pointedly and with a harsh glare.

Draco seemed unconvinced and gave a slight sneer before turning to sit properly in his seat. Harry did the same, though he did it much more slowly than his lover. He thought that there was something about Parkinson which wasn't quite right. He couldn't put his finger on exactly what it was though. It wasn't the fact she was spending an extra free period sitting in on one of Millicent's classes (which was strange in itself), it was more to do with the way she was holding herself. Her whole manner seemed to be slightly different than normal; for example she had called the ebony haired girl by her first name, Harry was sure he had only ever heard the blonde girl address her as Bulstrode. It was very curious and Harry couldn't help but feel slightly suspicious because of it. He was unable to pass comment on it though as Remus took that moment to greet the class and begin their lesson.

What with NEWTS being only a few months away, the class has already begun revision in order to prepare for exams. That lesson, they were going to revise potion making skills. Each pair (or three in Harry, Draco and Hermione's case as there was an odd number of students in the class) were assigned a different potion which they had to complete perfectly by the end of the lesson. If it had been Snape in charge of the lesson, he no doubt would've insisted on it all being done under exam conditions. As it was Remus, however, all he said was that as long as no one touched any other potion except their own then everyone could talk freely. As soon as the instruction to begin had been issued, the once quiet classroom had erupted in conversation and noise and the students started to surge towards the student stock room in order to gather everything they needed. Draco, Harry and Hermione, being sensible students, decided to linger and wait for the initial rush to die down.

Half an hour later and everyone was busy with their potions. With the two Slytherins and the Gryffindor, Draco carefully stirred their simmering concoction while Hermione chopped the next ingredient and Harry wrote down notes on their method for use in the essay they would have to write afterwards. They worked together swiftly and efficiently, each with their own responsibilities and tasks.

Taking a break from his writing, Harry placed his quill down in order to stretch and crack his fingers which had stiffened uncomfortably. He also lifted his head and rolled it, his neck clicking several times as he did so. With each roll he felt relief and a loosening of the tension in his muscles. Upon catching movement in the corner of his eye though, he stopped the pleasurable movements in favour of discreetly concentrating on what was happening just behind and to his right.

While Bulstrode was apparently hard at work on hers and her work partner's potion, Parkinson wasn't concentrating on the book she had taken up when work had begun. Harry watched her carefully as the blonde girl reached to the area on the desk where Bulstrode's prepared ingredients were resting and took a single strip of some sort of shredded plant. Harry really should have predicted what was about to happen but he was too intrigued by Parkinson's face. The expression appeared not in the least extraordinary, but the eyes...There was something about them...Something not quite right...

It was a confused question from Draco which brought Harry back to the present. He turned and saw both of his friend staring down at their cauldron in confusion, both murmuring questions on why their once pastel pink potion with a watery consistency had suddenly turned thick and brown like mud. Harry suddenly knew only too well what was going to happen.

"Get down!" Harry gasped as he threw himself at Draco.

Unprepared for the sudden impact, the blond Slytherin over-balanced and with a short cry, went sprawling onto the ground with Harry landing right on top of him. Beside them, Hermione copied their dive. Mere seconds later and their cauldron literally exploded sending the muddy-brown gloop inside shooting out in all directions along with fragments of the metal pot which were nothing more than dangerous shrapnel. Other people in the classroom screamed but it all passed Harry by as he glanced down to the one underneath him.

"Are you all right?" Draco asked urgently.

"Yes, I am fine."

They lingered together, eyes locked and faces so very close. The desire to close the gap, to seal their lips, was strong and hard to resist but the matter was eventually taken out of their hands when Remus' voice spoke urgently from above. "Is anyone injured? Draco? Harry? Are you hurt?"

Harry lingered a second longer, almost as though reluctant to break the stare with Draco. Eventually, however, he broke himself free of whatever trance he was in and blinked before slowly moving off of the blond. "We are well." He reassured, pushing himself onto his knees.

"What happened?" The Potions professor demanded, helping his unofficial godson onto his feet. Standing, Harry saw that everyone in the class was slowly starting to emerge from underneath their desks. To his left he saw that Hermione appeared to be fine and he felt no small amount of relief about that.

"It was Parkinson." Millicent suddenly accused, drawing the attention of everyone in the room. "I saw her! She threw something into Harry and Draco's cauldron."

Horrified chatter immediately filled the room and Harry felt Draco close a hand around his wrist in some gesture of silent protection. Harry ignored it and instead focussed on Pansy. She looked as though she was about to burst into tears but she also looked extremely confused and horrified. It was as though she knew what she had done but she didn't understand why she had done it and that was what Harry focussed on.

Things were slowly beginning to click into place in the saviour's mind. There was more to what was happening than was immediately apparent and now he was beginning to understand just who it was trying to dispose of him.

* * *

25th February 1998: Late Afternoon

Sitting in front of the headmistress' desk inside her office was hardly an irregular occurrence for Harry. It seemed like every other week he was in there, usually for some dramatic reason such as someone trying to kill him. It really was most bothersome especially his current visit. In the office, he and the headmistress were also joined by Draco, Sirius, Remus and, to the side, Pansy Parkinson. Everyone was making the most tremendous fuss and Harry thought it was all very unnecessary.

"I want her out of the dungeons!" Sirius insisted loudly. "No, better yet, I want her out of the school! No, no, even better, I want her thrown in Azkaban and then for the key to her cell to be thrown away."

"She has not actually done anything." Harry pointed out calmly.

"But she's tried to and that's enough for me!"

"I'm inclined to agree with your godfather for once." Draco murmured from where he stood beside Harry, in between the saviour and the blonde girl despite the fact she was on the other side of the room to them.

"Although I don't agree with a term in Azkaban, I don't see how Miss Parkinson can remain in the school." Remus said softly though there was a very definite edge to his voice. He was just as angry as Sirius, he was just calmer about it.

McGonagall sighed regretfully from where she sat behind her desk. "Perhaps you're right, Lupin, but I don't think I can make a decision until I've informed the authorities..."

"No." Harry interrupted her very suddenly.

Everyone gave him the oddest look at that one word, as though he had totally lost his mind. "Mr Potter?" The headmistress asked, sounding somewhat bewildered.

"I do not believe Miss Parkinson is the one who is attempting to kill me."

"Harry, the evidence is undeniable." Remus pointed out in a way which suggested he thought he was talking to a scared and confused animal.

"Yet I am denying it." Harry said firmly. "I believe Miss Parkinson is innocent and if you will allow me a week I shall prove it to you by revealing the true culprit."

It was obvious that no one was thrilled with that idea and had anyone else suggested they would've simply ignored them. But this was Harry Potter, the boy who had defeated Voldemort, the strange young man who had spent so much of his life in incubation and was more powerful than any of them fully comprehended. Surely, if Harry doubted the guilt of Pansy Parkinson then there was due cause for the rest of them to doubt it. Their common sense was split in two, one part screaming for them to do the obvious thing of following the evidence while the other pointed out just how unlikely it was that Harry was wrong.

Eventually, it was their trust in Harry that won through.

"Very well," McGongall agreed reluctantly. "You have one week in which to prove your theory, Potter. After that, I will be alerting the Aurors to our suspicions of Miss Parkinson."

"Thank you." Harry replied, inclining his head in the headmistress' direction before he stood with the obvious intention of leaving now he had secured his week in which to work.

There was a tense, stony silence in the room as the young saviour stood and began to leave, Draco following on behind him faithfully. Then, the moment they were past the door and it was shut behind them, muffled shouts proceeded to bellow from inside the office. It was enough to have both young men glancing over their shoulders but nothing more and without further hesitation, Harry began to make his way down the staircase. The Malfoy, of course, followed, and as he did he chose that moment to speak.

"Are you sure you know what you're doing?" Draco questioned, his voice somewhere between sceptical and disapproving.

"I have never been one to sit by and simply watch an injustice, you know that." Harry replied as he continued walking down the corridor, away from the headmistress' office.

"How can it be an injustice? There were witnesses, Harry! Bulstrode saw Parkinson do it!"

"That means very little in our world." Harry finally turned to look at his lover then. "Did you not think that Miss Parkinson's manner was odd? That she seemed to know exactly what she had done and yet was completely confused by it?"

"So she's an idiot, so what? Or she was faking it to try and get sympathy."

"Perhaps, but I do not think that is the case." Harry paused in both his speech and step when he reached the bottom of the stairs then and simply stood in the middle of the corridor, staring down at the floor silently for several moments. "I would like some time by myself." He said finally, his voice barely above a whisper.

"You think I'm going to leave you alone when there's someone around here who wants you dead?" Draco demanded with a frown.

"Please, Draco," was all Harry said to that.

The Malfoy watched his lover for several long minutes before giving a reluctant grunt and looking away. "If you're not back in our room by four o'clock I'm alerting the professors."

"Very well."

"Fine then." The blond grunted before stalking off down the corridor, turning a corner at the end and disappearing without so much as a backwards glance to Harry.

Harry sighed lightly, knowing that Draco was simply concerned for him but also quite put out that the blond was expressing his concern in such a hostile manner. Harry knew what he was doing and even if he didn't, he was more than capable of looking after himself. Some people just refused to be reassured however. It was fine though, annoying, but fine. The Malfoy would come around eventually, probably before Harry had even proved that it was not Pansy Parkinson who was trying to kill him.

"Potter?" The voice of said girl suddenly came from behind him.

Harry gave no answer and simply looked over his shoulder to the blonde.

"Why did you do that?" She asked warily. "Why did you stick up for me? I've never been anything but horrid to you and you defended me, even when all the evidence points my way. Why?"

"Because you are innocent." Harry told her simply.

Pansy looked at him for the longest time, her gaze steady and analytical. Then, quite suddenly, her eyes widened slightly as though she was surprised. "You know who it is, don't you?" She said, her tone full of realisation. "That's why you stood up for me. It's not just a theory, you actually know who it is trying to kill you."

"As I told the others, I have my suspicions."

"Are you going to confront them?"

"Yes."

"Do you think you'll survive?"

"I believe that, Miss Parkinson, is your decision."

"How is it my decision?"

"The time will come when you have a choice between doing what is easy and doing what is right. The choice you make will determine whether or not I survive."

Without further word, Harry turned and left the girl behind.

* * *

End of Chapter 13.

It's all starting to wrap up now. Next chapter will reveal the question you're all asking (though I wouldn't be surprised if you've all already figured out who it is trying to kill Harry XD). There's four chapters left now, not long to go.  
Take care for now everyone and I'll see you all next week.

Hugs  
Dream


	14. 2nd March 1998

Hi everyone :)

Lovely reviews as always :) Thank you to everyone who let me know what you thought of last chapter.  
Here it is, the moment you've all been waiting for. Who's been trying to kill Harry? Read on to find out :D

* * *

The week Harry had secured to prove Pansy Parkinson innocent was almost over and although there was no doubt in his mind as to who it was trying to kill him, he had no way to prove it. He had no solid evidence which could be used to point the finger in his attacker's direction and time was rapidly running out. Simply stating the accusation wouldn't work. His attacker was a wily type and without evidence there was too great a risk that they'd be able to talk their way out of their guilt.

If he was anyone else, he may have started to let his frustration and concern get the better of him. Harry was nothing if not calm and methodical about everything however, and so he continued to bide him time. He knew that with some discreet manipulation of certain situations, he could draw his attacker into the open. Once he had done that then exposing them for what they were would become the most simple task in the world.

So, he remained patient. He watched and he waited and when oppotunity arrived, he seized it with both hands.

* * *

2nd March 1998: Late evening

The bathroom door clicking shut was Harry's cue to leave. It was the night and he was determined to make sure what was going to happen happened as far away from Draco as possible. So, as he pulled on his outer school robe and checked the pocket to make sure his wand was in there, he quietly slipped out of the room he and Draco shared. He guided the door shut completely silently despite the fact it was highly unlikely that Draco would hear from inside the bathroom, especially with the tap of the bath running, but such things could never be taken for granted. Draco couldn't know what Harry was planning. If Draco knew, he'd want to help and that would put him in danger and it wasn't his fight to put himself in danger for.

Harry passed through the Slytherin common room like a shadow, going unnoticed by the majority of the students who inhabited the area. The few who noticed him, he noticed back: Gregory Goyle; Vincent Carbbe; a Sixth Year whose name he didn't know. They glanced at him and Harry glanced back. No words were exchanged. They all looked away together moments later.

Although that night was definitely the night, it (whatever "it" turned out to be) wouldn't actually happen for quite a while, Harry decided silently. No, first there would be some stalking from his attacker as they tried to figure out whether it was the time to strike again. Then, they would wait until the Wizarding world's saviour was in the ideal location. With the attacker deciding when and where everything would happen, one would be forgiven for assuming it was they who had the control. In reality, Harry was quite confident in the level of control he had of the situation. Everything his attacker would do would be expected and so nothing could surprise him and he was confident in his ability to hold his own in a duel.

In the end, it took twenty minutes for things to finally start by which time Harry had made his way from the dungeons and up to the eighth floor. His original intention had been to make his way up to the Atronomy tower to make sure whatever happened was no where near anyone in the castle. That intention was never realised however as, while he was walking up one of the moving staircases, a wand was suddenly dug into his back. It was no surprise, he had heard the footsteps of his attacker long before he had felt the wand.

"So, you have decided to finally confront me directly, Goyle."

"You knew it was me the whole time, did't you?" Goyle's voice asked gruffly from directly behind Harry, voice laced with suspicion.

"I have had my suspicions and you have just confirmed them."

"Then why did you intentionally leave yourself alone, at this time of night, when you knew full well I was awake too?"

"I do not think it would be wise of me to tell you that, but I wonder if I really even need to worry." Harry turned then and looked the larger male, who was still slightly taller than him despite standing on a lower step, straight in the eyes, eyes that weren't the same as they usually were. "Four times with four different methods you have tried to take my life, and each time you have failed. I think, perhaps, you are more of an annoyance than a threat."

"You weren't saying that when you were dying in the Infirmary after I slipped you the poison." Goyle said nastily as he reached forward to dig a hand in Harry's pockets in search for his wand.

"But even that turned out to be little more than a distraction. The poison you used was incomplete, it was never going to be lethal. Whoever you bought it from was apparently not very trustworthy."

"I made it myself."

"Then inadequate potions skills is what let you down." The comment would've perhaps sounded more mocking if not said in Harry's usual monotone. "I wonder what will let you down this time."

The Death Eater seemed slightly confused by that statement. "This time?" He echoed, throwing Harry's wand away to the side so it disappeared over one of the banisters.

"Are we not to fight? Do you not still wish to kill me?" Harry queried as he began a slow approach of his enemy. "After all I have done to you by defeating Voldemort: your family in Azkaban; your fortune frozen; the only life you had ever known gone in the instant I killed your Dark Lord. Is that not why you wish me dead? Why you pushed me off the stands during the Quidditch match, why you poisoned my food, why you allowed the Death Eaters entrance into Hogwarts." He paused as he reached the taller man. Tilting his head back slightly to maintain eye contact, he lowered the volume of his voice to barely above a whisper. "Is that not why you shall kill me now?"

Goyle looked at him very carefully, as though trying to figure out whether or not he was being tricked. "Do you want to die?"

Harry leaned in a little closer to the heftier young man. "You are far too easy to distract." He whispered as he pressed his right hand lightly against Goyle's chest. With a mere thought and a push of magic, the large young man collapsed to the floor heavily. Harry watched him fall before lifting his gaze. "I see little point in you continuing to hide, I am aware of your presence." He spoke to the immediate area in general rather than a specific point.

A movement in the corner of his eye prompted Harry to look slightly to his left just in time to see who he expected to step out of the shadows. A dark, hateful sneer on her face and a wand clutched tightly in her left hand, Millicent Bulstrode emerged from a shadowed alcove. She stepped forward only two paces before she came to a stop.

"And there was me thinking I really did have you fooled." She admitted, her sneer turning slightly amused.

"Perhaps if you had used someone other than Gregory Goyle to confront me with." Harry suggested quietly, keeping his gaze steadily fixed on his enemy. "It was an intriguing plan, you used the Imperious Curse on our house mates so that everyone except yourself attacked me at some point. Unfortunately for you, it was such that singled you out in my mind and your failure to mimic Miss Parkinson's personality merely confirmed your guilt. I assume the warning you gave me on Valentines afternoon was also supposed to cover your scent, as it were. That, I must admit, worked. Even when the Death Eaters revealed that it was you who allowed them into the school, I doubted your guilt." He paused then and seemed to study the girl carefully. "Your mastery of the Imperious Curse is far superior to others of our age."

"Is that a compliment?"

"Simply a fact, though I am interested to know how you became so proficient in it."

"Practice; a lot of it."

"I see." Harry murmured quietly. "I assume you have also had a lot of practice in the art of deception; how else could you so brilliantly hide your status as a Death Eater?"

"What makes you think I am?" Millicent asked as she started to move towards him.

"Simply an assumption. I can think of no other motive to try and kill me."

"Hmm, well, as loathe as I am to admit it, you're right again." The dark haired girl admitted, steadily moving ever closer.

"You have not lost as much as any other Death Eaters have, your family were never supporters of Voldemort..."

"Stop saying his name!" Bulstrode suddenly ordered angrily as she raised her wand straight towards Harry. "You, you filthy half-blood, have no right to speak his name!"

"You call me filthy when your blood is as dirty as mine." Harry murmured, simply stating a fact.

"I know my blood's dirty, I know I'm not as pure as my superiors, but the Dark Lord forgave me that and allowed me to fight for him nonetheless."

"You have great talent as an actress, though not because of your attempts to appear as a friend to me, more because not once have I ever thought you possible of such delusion." He pinned a hard look on his opponant. "Lower you wand, Miss Bulstrode."

"Why? So we can talk? So you can stall for time? You don't have your wand, Potter, and no one knows you're out of bed, do you really think I'm going to let this oppotunity pass me by?" Millicent all but cackled.

Harry said nothing to that and instead simply lifted a hand, wordlessly summoning the girl's wand from her hand to his own. "Do you really think I am going to let this oppotunity pass me by?" He echoed her words.

A look of pure anger crossed Bulstrode's face then and she did something which caught Harry completely off guard; she charged at him. Before the young man could properly think, the girl had barged into him, sending the wand flying from his weak grip and pushing him off balance. He had no time to right himself before he received a punch in the stomach which forced the air out of his lungs and then an extremely violent shove which sent him falling back against the banister of the staircase.

Perhaps some would think that it was an incredible sight, Harry Potter being physically beaten up by a girl, but he had never claimed to be physically strong because he just wasn't. Whether it was a side affect of his incubation or it was a genetic thing or whatever, he simply wasn't a physically strong person and there was no greater proof of that then when Bulstrode grabbed one of his wrists and he was powerless to stop her from roughly hauling him up onto his feet.

"Let's see you miraculously survive this." Millicent seethed before lifting and pushing the slight form of the teenage boy up and over the banister, sending him into a free-fall towards the floor hundreds of feet below.

Harry's blood rushed and his heart pounded in his ears. This was doing nothing for his fear of heights! He felt dizzy, he felt sick, he couldn't concentrate, was he going to die? Would anyone arrive to save him? If not, how could he save himself? No, no, he had to calm down! He was running out of time! This was what he had been preparing himself for ever since that Quidditch match. He could save himself, he just had to focus and plan very quickly.

Apparating was out; he wasn't strong enough to wandlessly move through the wards of Hogwarts. Perhaps a cushioning charm on the ground below? No, there was a chance that wouldn't pad the landing enough. Perhaps flying; he could Accio a broom. He had never flown a broom before though. Would that cause problems? Or, more importantly, did he have time to think of another plan? He already knew the answer to that last question.

He made a decision, he would have to simply take a risk. "Accio Draco's Firebolt." Harry murmured as he squeezed his eyes shut tightly in both fear and concentration.

The faint crack/pop was heard and Harry immediately opened his eyes to see, thank Merlin, that Draco's racing broom had appeared just in front of him. He reached out and took it, positioning it between his legs and clutching to the tip tightly. Then, using every single ounce of strength in his body, he tried to pull back in order to straighten himself out and stop his decent. It was possibly the hardest thing he had ever had to do and his entire body protested at the strange use of his muscles, but he persevered and, rather suddenly, he straightened out. He didn't pause for even a moment before he was shooting back up, passing over Bulstrode's head and then heading off down a random corridor.

Part of him, a large part of him, was completely terrified and he clung onto the broom handle for dear life as he whizzed almost blindly through the corridors of Hogwarts. However, there was another part of him which was exhilerated and thrilled with the freedom and sense of wrecklessness that flying was giving him. The rushing wind through his hair felt wonderful and Harry found that as long as he didn't look down and tried to ignore the ground, then flying was actually rather enjoyable.

"Avada Kedavra!" Bulstrode's voice yelled behind him suddenly.

On pure instinct, Harry leaned heavily to his left and successfully managed to dodge the green light which had been flying towards him. He glanced over his shoulder as he straightened his flight path again and saw that his attacker had also summoned a broom and was hot on his tail. With Millicent firing Killing curses at him so thoughtlessly, Harry thought it best if he steered the chase/fight outside to avoid any innocent casualties. After all, just because he was able to dodge the green light, that didn't mean an unsuspecting prefect would be able to.

How to get out though? The doors into the school would be locked and he was reluctant to break a window. The only thing he could think of which might just possibly work would be if there was an open window in one of the greenhouses. It was a slim chance and if there were none open and Harry was forced to break one in a greenhouse then at least he would feel better about it than breaking one of the old, stained glass windows of the main building.

So, with that decision made, Harry quickly determined what part of the school he was in and which direction he'd have to go in to reach the greenhouses. He realised that not only was he very fortunately already facing the correct direction but he also didn't have that much further to go. In fact, he only turned two corners and flew down three more corridors before he was in the first of the glass houses.

Harry glanced over his shoulder quickly as he rose higher on the broom. Bulstrode was no where in sight. Had he lost her? Even if he had, he couldn't take it for granted and so he thought it best to still head outside. At least with his attacker not immediately present it gave him time to open a window manually.

And that was what he did. He flew up to the glass roof and pushed open one of the glass panels. Then, just as he was about to fly outside, he caught sight of Bulstrode flying in through the greenhouse's door. He picked his speed up again, getting outside swiftly and then closing the window behind him. It did little good as two seconds later the glass exploded out as green light shot out from inside. Harry reared back on instinct (because the light was actually no where near him) and turned that movement into an upwards flight as the chase was resumed.

However much time passed then, whether it was seconds or minutes, it was both terrifying and exilerating at the same time. The more Harry flew, the more he came to love it and he decided, at the back of his mind, that if he lived to see another day then he would definitely try to start flying more often. If Bulstrode got her way, he wouldn't get the chance though as the girl was almost constantly aiming Killing curses at him. Green light was shooting past him with only a few seconds between each one. The dodging and the weaving was hard to keep up and it was because of this that Harry's luck eventually ran out.

The cry of the Killing curse came once more and Harry steered to one side accordingly. However, whether it was because Bulstrode was closer than he thought or he simply didn't move in time, the green light caught the end of his broom which jolted him very suddenly and very sharply. He toppled over and lost his grip which meant the broom fell away from him and he was, again, in a free-fall. On the fortunate side, it was over the lake so he'd survive. On the unfortunate side, he had never swam before.

This time, however, Harry had the good sense not to completely panic. He covered his nose and mouth with both of his hands and started to concentrate. The moment he felt himself penetrate the water he cast the spell he wanted and removed his hands to reveal a large bubble which now covered the lower half of his face. That was his breathing taken care of which was one less thing to worry about. His main problem then was how he was going to get back onto solid ground when he didn't know how to swim. He supposed he must've been able to, almost every creature could swim if they had to after all, and so he simply followed what felt right. That resulted in a slow, clumsy doggy paddle towards the surface but at least it worked and, eventually, it got him back onto dry land even though it completely exhausted him.

Harry just about managed to drag himself out of the water but then he really didn't feel like he could move anymore. Never before had he worked his muscles so hard and he was panting from the exertion and everywhere seemed to burn from the exercise. His limbs shook alarmingly as he struggled to push himself onto his knees but he forced himself to continue up; he didn't have the luxury to stay still until he had recovered sufficiently.

"I wonder," Bulstrode's voice came from further ahead and Harry looked up to see the girl had landed several feet away and once again had her wand pointed straight at him. "What use is a saviour who can't even move after a little swim like that?"

Harry said nothing, mostly because he had nothing to say but also because he didn't have the breath to speak.

She sneered at him. "You're nothing more than a sitting duck now. Want me to put you out of your misery?" Her sneered widened. "Avada Kedavra!"

Harry saw the light but just couldn't move his body in time. He heard voices scream his name from somewhere as the same curse which killed his parents hit him square in the chest. His body flew backwards a couple of feet from the impact and hit the ground roughly, rolling with the remaining momentum before coming to a rest on his stomach, face down to the ground.

At the sight of the still form, Millicent dropped her wand as her eyes widened and her jaw began to lower. She was aware of the approaching group of professors, including Sirius and Remus, as well as Pansy and Draco but that didn't change anything. In fact, it made it all the sweeter. She, Millicent Bulstrode, had killed Harry Potter. Her open mouth twisted into a sickening grin as she burst out into hysterical laughter, not stopping even when she was grabbed by Sirius and shook almost violently.

"You bitch!" Sirius yelled, somewhere between an angry shout and a sob. "You evil, cunniving little bitch! My godson, you killed my godson!"

"Sirius, don't!" Remus cried as he tried to pull his sobbing lover away from the girl. Just then, Pansy and Draco rushed past the scene, heading over to Harry's still form.

"She killed him!" Sirius wept, suddenly losing all of his strength and sagging in Remus' arms. "Oh dear Merlin, he's gone again!" He stopped talking then and simply freed all of his grief against his lover.

As the still cackling Millicent was secured none-too-gently by Professor McGonagall and Professor Sprout, the two Slytherin students reached Harry finally. While Pansy slowed to a stop and remained standing, Draco didn't even slow down before he was on his knees beside Harry. Instantly, the Malfoy, fighting through tears and sobs, grabbed hold of Harry's robes with the intention of rolling him over to see his face. It was when he did this that he almost forgot to breathe as he thought he felt something.

Pansy, upon seeing the blond man pause, looked down at him carefully. "Draco?"

Draco didn't reply and instead snapped himself out of his freeze and slowly, gently, lowered himself down closer to his lover's body. "Harry?" He spoke gently before going very quiet and very still.

The blonde girl beside the two young men watched in concern as Draco just seemed to stop functioning. He wasn't moving, he was as still as Harry was. Then, it was just as Pansy was about to rest a hand on the Malfoy's shoulder that the blond shot up, his eyes wide. Frantically, he straightened up slightly and started to awkwardly tug Harry over as well as up at the same time. Pansy really didn't know what to think about the sudden change and so instead stood there, still looking concerned but also feeling slightly hopeful; Draco's sudden movement had to have been caused by something.

Eventually, despite rushing and taking no real care, Draco had Harry on his back and supported in his arms and Pansy could suddenly see why the Malfoy was so happy. Harry's face was twisted in a grimace of discomfort, his eyes screwed shut tightly, and his body shook as he obviously struggled to breathe properly. The Slytherin girl felt relief sweep through her, relief which Draco shared as he gave a happy sob and clutched Harry tightly to him.

"Oh God, thank Merlin, thank you, thank you." The Malfoy wept as he rocked the dark haired youth in his arms.

Pansy turned to look behind her to the group of adults and the restrained Millicent. "He's not dead!" She announced to them happily. "He's breathing! He's alive!"

Sirius' head was up in an instant and the blonde girl stepped to the side so she didn't obstruct the adults' view of the youth in question. Indeed, they all saw that, low and behold, there was Harry Potter in the arms of Draco Malfoy. The saviour's green eyes were open once again, a little glazed over, and his chest was heaving heavily though it was clear he was now able to breathe more normally.

"NO!" Bulstrode screeched and she probably would've thrashed to get loose if it wasn't for the fact she was both stunned magically and held physically.

Sirius really didn't seem to know what to do for several seconds after the announcement of Harry's survival and it took a bit of prompting from Remus to get him moving. But then, when he did start moving, there was no stopping him. He sprinted the entire distance and did much the same as Draco had upon reaching Harry; he fell to his knees beside his godson and immediately clutched him as tightly as he could, totally ignoring the presence of the Malfoy who was also still holding the saviour. Remus was soon with them. He knelt down behind Harry and leaned down to kiss the top of his head while he rested a hand on Sirius' shaking shoulder.

* * *

2nd March 1998: Night

"It is not normal for a student to so frequently visit this place, is it?"

"No, it's not. Most people manage to avoid it completely."

"You've never even been close to normal anyway."

"Hmm."

Harry sat in a bed in the Infirmary, Draco sitting on the bed with him and Parkinson sitting on a chair to the bed's right. They were waiting for various adults to return for various reasons: Madam Pomfrey was calling someone from Saint Mungos to attend the "emergency"; Remus was getting Harry some pyjamas (as he was once again being forced to spend the night in the Infirmary); and Sirius was with the Aurors who were in the process of taking Bulstrode away.

"What do you think's going to happen to Bulstrode?" Pansy mused idly, leaning her chin on her hand which was propt up by the elbow resting on her knee.

"She might try and claim insanity though I doubt that'd stick." Draco replied as he ran his fingers through Harry's hair. "She'll definitely be sent to Azkaban though whether she's convicted of attempted murder, use of Dark magic or of being a Death Eater."

"Well I'm seriously considering sueing her for what she did to me." The girl said primly.

"What she did to you?"

"Bulstrode placed Miss Parkinson under the Imperious curse; that is why she threw the extra ingrediants into our cauldron." Harry murmured, his voice so tired that he sounded half asleep. "I did tell you that there was something about the way she was acting during the class which was suspcious."

Draco sighed. "In the future, I'll just accept everything you say as fact then, all right?"

Harry simply gave a small hum to that as he allowed his eyes to close.

"Hey, hey," the Malfoy said quickly, using the arm he had around his lover to jostle him several times. "No going to sleep, remember? You have to stay awake at least until the Saint Mungo's doctor has given you the all clear."

"I am just resting my eyes, I do not intend to fall asleep."

"Just be sure you don't then. After all, we don't know if there are any side-effects to surviving being hit by a Killing curse."

"Were there any the last time it happened?" Pansy asked Harry curiously.

"The only one who would know the answer to that question is Dumbledore." Harry said quietly as his head fell to the side to rest on Draco's shoulder. Then, his eyes opened again, just a bit. "I wish he were here now." He almost whispered. "Perhaps he would be able to explain why I am apparently immune to that spell."

"We'll never know everything about everything, perhaps the mysteries surrounding you will always remain so, maybe the answers died with Dumbledore." Draco mumbled thoughtfully.

Harry gave another hum before the three teenagers fell silent again. Draco could very probably be right and no one may ever know why he, the one known to the world as Harry Potter, had survived the Killing curse, not once but twice. And perhaps that wasn't really important, at least not to him. He had no intention of letting himself get into another situation such as that and so would never have to face a third Avada Kedavra to see if he would survive that as well.

* * *

End of Chapter 14.  
I bet that outcome didn't surprise many of you, I think a fair few had figured out it was Millicent. Random trivia here; the guilty person changed three times throughout the course of writing this. First, it was going to be Pansy but that quickly changed to having it be Goyle and it stuck like that for quite a while. Then, I decided to change it to Millicent simply because I decided I could make things more interesting that way.  
If you didn't think I was crap at writing action before, you probably do now XD This chapter was Hell to write. Nothing seemed to want to come out and then what did come out I didn't like so I re-wrote. That was at the peak of my Harry Potter block though so that probably had something to do with it.  
Three more chapters left now people. Here's hoping I see the majority of you back next week :)

Hugs  
Dream


	15. 3rd Apr to 22nd Apr 1998

Hi everyone :)

A big thank you to everyone who reviewed, you all gave me the warm fuzzies only a pleasant review can provide :)  
Okay, since almost everyone who reviewed last chapter asked the same question, I'll give you all the answer here: why/how did Harry survive a second AK? The only person who might possibly know that is Dumbledore. I'm not Dumbledore so I don't know, and I can't ask him because he's dead (which is a round-about way of me admitting that I never got around to thinking up a decent explanation for what happened).  
Okay, now that's settled, on with the chapter.

* * *

3rd April 1998: Afternoon

The good thing was there was no one trying to kill Harry anymore so he was allowed to live his life without fear of attack. The bad thing was, because there was no danger, there was no reason for him and Draco to continue to have a room separate from their Year mates which was why they had been required to move back into their dorm room the day after Millicent had been arrested. However, much to the surprise of the rest of the Slytherins, Crabbe and Goyle had officially left Hogwarts soon after Bulstrode had been arrested. Goyle, for medical reasons as the last Imperious Curse that Millicent had cast on him had left some sort of lingering damage. Crabbe, well, none of them really knew, he had simply left without a word to any of the remaining three Seventh Year Slytherins.

And so, because of that, Harry and Draco still had a room to themselves and, as always, they took full advantage of that.

The moment the door slammed shut behind the two lovers, Harry had been pushed back against it, Draco pinning him there, all the time latched onto his lips. Their kiss was hot, needy, urgent, and Harry felt his hand shake as he reached behind himself to lock the door. It was unlikely that anyone was going to try and get in but he felt it was always better to be safe than sorry.

With the door locked, they staggered towards Draco's bed, shedding clothes from each other along the way. Harry was naked before Draco was and so the blond could use his hands for a more pleasurable task. A whispered spell from Harry (which he had actively sought out a book to learn) and the fingers of Draco's left hand were coated in a thick layer of clear, slick gel. Within seconds he had a fingertip carefully circling Harry's entrance. Harry broke the kiss to give a quiet moan when the tip of the finger, down to the base of the nail, was pressed into him. It wriggled and writhed, moving in deeper and rubbing against the walls of his passage, just barely brushing against his prostate every so often. The dark haired teenager bit his bottom lip as his eyes screwed shut at the sensation and as his semi erection gave an interested twitch.

They collapsed on the bed in a haphazard manner when they reached it, Harry coming very close to getting an elbow in the stomach as they touched down. He had very little time to recover as well because Draco was on him again in seconds, lips and teeth latching onto the pale flesh of his neck. The finger inside of Harry disappeared only to return seconds later with a second while Draco's free hand moved to the dusty-rose coloured nipples and began to pinch and rub them until they were pebbled and swollen. When they were stiffened to the Malfoy's taste, he left the neck he had been feasting on to attack the nubs with teeth and tongue. All the while, the fingers moving inside of Harry never stopped making the stoic youth's limbs shake and his heart pound in his chest and ears. His vision, already blurred because he wasn't wearing his glasses, was fuzzy with pleasure, but despite that Harry could still see enough to meet Draco's gaze as the blond glanced up at him. Pewter eyes darkened with lust smirked up at the blushing young man just as a third finger pushing into him. A strangled, half-choked sob escaped Harry then and his hips pushed down against the sensation. Draco's lips curved into a smirk against the pale skin of his lover and he never stopped his thrusting fingers as he shimmied down to Harry's erection.

Harry couldn't tell whether what he was feeling felt wonderful or terrible. It was such sweet torment! Draco's lips, hot and wet, mouthed the insides of his thighs before skating up and over and then down his rigid length before they mouthed his sac. It felt so amazing and yet it wasn't enough. Harry wanted, he needed, more before he went insane.

"Draco," he pleaded in a breathless whisper. "Please, no more, I cannot take any more."

In an instant, the Malfoy was away from his lover's erection and had removed his fingers from the well-worked entrance, moving up to hover just over Harry's body. He joined their hands, fingers laced together, and lifted Harry's arms and hands until they were stretched above his head and touching the edge of the bed's pillow. Harry stared up at Draco with hooded eyes as he felt the familiar blunt sensation of something much larger than fingers press against his hole. He lifted his legs, bending them at the knees, opening himself up and inviting his lover inside of him.

Slowly, Draco entered Harry. The head of his erection, slicked only with his pre-cum, pressed against the loosened ring of muscle and sipped in all at once, quite suddenly. Both young men groaned at the connection. Draco basked in the incredible warmth while Harry reveled in the feeling or fullness and the slight burn which his passion-fogged mind seemed to be confusing with pleasure. The saviour's mouth opened and he gave a high gasp as his body moved of its own accord, undulating in such a way that it brought the length inside him deeper.

The blond had his teeth grit and eyes shut at the effort it took to control himself but the sensation of his hands being squeezed had him opening his eyes. Harry was staring up at him with eyes that said so much more than words ever could. Darkened to a shade of ink-green, the usually stoic and unemotional saviour of the Wizarding world looked like a perfect example of a sensual, needy lover. It was a side to Harry that no one would ever see (or even believe was possible) except for Draco and that was something that made him happier than he could adequately describe. In that moment, his heart ached with the emotion of it all and he felt the compulsion to lean down and nudge Harry's nose with his own.

"I love you." He whispered, perhaps sounding more sincere than he ever had about anything else.

"As I love you." Harry returned, his voice just as quiet. Lips met in a light, sweet kiss before the dark haired young man rolled his hips which brought gasps out of them both. "Please move, Draco."

The blond complied at once, drawing his hips back and dragging himself out of his lover at an agonisingly slow movement. That slow pace didn't last for long though as their time limit was an ever present knowledge at the back of the Malfoy's mind. The pace was steadily increased until Draco was moving as fast as their position, with him laying almost flush atop Harry and their hands still linked together, would allow him to. Harry moved to meet him as best as he could, coaxing him in deep and trying to angle himself so that sweet spot inside him could be stimulated. His efforts paid off when a sharp jolt of pleasure swept through his entire body.

"Ngh, Draco, there." He gasped in delight as he repeated his previous movement and his prostate was jabbed once again.

Together, they kept up the movement and the pace and with Harry's prostate being constantly battered, it was mere minutes before he felt the coil in his stomach reach its limit. With a gutteral moan, his orgasm rushed through him and his seed sprayed out up to as far as his mouth though most of it spattered on Draco's chest. The movement inside of him didn't stop and continued to nudge his prostate each time prompting another spasm of pleasure and another spurt of release.

As Harry's writhing started to calm and although the contractions of his channel started to calm, Draco was able to reach his own peak. His thrusts became harder and deeper as he released himself inside of his lover and he continued the frantic humping until the warmth of the after-glow began to seep into his muscles.

The two lovers melted together, Draco laying on top of Harry, his head pillowed on the pale chest, as his spent member slipped free of Harry's abused hole. Their breathing slowly evened out and the grip they had on each others hands relaxed. Harry was the first to move, gingerly bringing his arms down (which were slight stiff from their prolonged period of being spread above him) and settling one beside himself while the hand of the other threaded through strands of blond hair. Draco turned his head very slightly to press a kiss on the piece of skin directly next to him. Such little movements were how they spent the five minutes which followed their love-making before Harry did what he was best at; returned them to reality.

"We are due in class in ten minutes." He murmured tiredly.

"Can't we skip it?" Draco asked through a yawn. "I'm in the mood for a nap."

"You may stay if you wish, I will be going to class so you must let me up."

"And if I don't want to?"

"Then that will be the last time we do what we just did for some time."

Draco lifted his head and gave Harry a rather put out look. "Don't you think that's a bit harsh?"

"No. Now let me up."

The blond sighed but did as he was ordered, rolling to the side and sitting up so his legs were over the side of the mattress.

Harry sat up and stretched his back gracefully as he watched the Malfoy stand and do the same. "I thought you wished to stay to sleep?"

"There's no fun in that if you're not with me. Besides, I probably wouldn't sleep tonight." Draco paused and looked down at himself, wrinkling his nose at the sight of the drying seed on his abdomen. "We'll need to shower before we go."

"Is it wise for us to do so together?" Harry asked lightly as he stood from the bed, a slight smile playing across his lips.

Draco grinned and leaned forward to peck a kiss onto his lover's lips. "We'll just have to control ourselves."

* * *

6th April 1998: Morning

"Good morning, you two." Pansy greeted Harry and Draco as they approached the Slytherin table for breakfast. "Sleep well?"

"Stop it, Pansy." Draco warned lightly as he and the other teenager sat down opposite her.

"I don't know what you mean," the girl protested innocently.

All hard feelings between the two blonde Slytherins seemed to have disappeared withour trace the night she helped to save Harry by telling the professors her suspicions of her dorm mate who had been curiously absent from their room at the time. Draco had instantly gone back to calling her by her first name and although he didn't flirt with her as Harry imagined he probably used to, he was much more friendly and open with the girl than Harry had ever known him to be. In return, Pansy was no longer so snippy with the Malfoy and had even grown friendly with Harry, calling him by his first name. Harry imagined it was because the girl didn't/couldn't understand that he had only stuck up for her because it was the right thing to do. No doubt in her mind, it was something he had done because he wanted to strike up a friendship with her. Despite this being the wrong view, Harry didn't correct her, mostly because it was easier to live with Pansy clearly no longer being jealous of the relationship the two young men shared. If anything, she seemed to revel in it as it gave her plenty of oppotunities to tease them both.

"Anyway," she sighed, reaching into her bag and pulling out an envelope. "You missed the owls and one came for you, Draco."

Draco frowned lightly at that and cautiously accepted the letter. "What colour was the owl?"

"I can't be sure, but I think it was your father's."

The Malfoy glanced at the envelope in his hand warily as though it was about to attack him.

"Perhaps it is simply a friendly letter of hello." Harry suggested, noticing his lover's sudden consternation.

"Lucius Malfoy isn't the sort to write a letter of hello, let alone a friendly one." Pansy grinned, obviously more amused with the situation more than anything. "Come on, Draco, open it and do share."

Draco gave the girl an unimpressed look but nevertheless neatly broke the wax seal and pulled the flap open.

The two other Slytherins watched with great interest as those pewter coloured eyes scanned over the hand-written letter. Draco's face gave nothing away so it was impossible to even try and guess what it was, exactly, he was reading. It turned out to be nothing that the Malfoy wanted to hear though as he abruptly pulled out his wand and with a flick sent the sheet of parchment up in flames.

For long moments, no one spoke or move. Then, finally, it was Harry who cautiously approached the subject. "Bad news?"

Draco spared Harry a glance before looking back ahead of himself firmly. "A ridiculous plea and subsequent threat from my parents. It wasn't important."

"Was it about marriage?" Pansy inquired knowingly which immediately earned her an accusing glare from the blond young man. "I don't know anything if that's what you're thinking," she said, holding her hands up in defense. "It just seems like the most obvious thing which would earn such a reation from you, not to mention you're a Pureblood; you're supposed to have already met and started courting the girl you're going to marry."

"I've already courted the one I'm going to spend the rest of my life with." Draco told her pointedly.

"Well, unless Harry grows a uterus and starts popping out babies, you know your parents are never going to go for that."

That was the final word of the conversation as Draco's hard glare promptly put a stop to anything else which anyone might have wanted to say. Pansy seemed quite happy to return to her breakfast but both Draco and Harry remained still and meloncholy. Out of the corner of his eyes, Harry watched his lover in concern, noticing the worry and anger which clearly showed on the blond's face, and he hoped dearly that this was not the beginning of something terrible.

* * *

12th April 1998: Evening

Harry couldn't deny he was looking forward to seeing Draco again, having not seen the young man since their shared Potions lesson that morning. So, when he entered the Great Hall, his eyes immediately sought the Malfoy out. The blond was nowhere in sight though and only Parkinson sat at the Seventh Year end of the Slytherin table. He headed over came to a stop beside the girl.

"Draco is not here?" He asked, his tone bearing the slightest hint of confusion.

"He's probably in your dorm room, waiting for you."

"Why?"

"At lunch time he got another letter from his parents; it wasn't good news. He won't want other people around when he tells you what's going on." Pansy explained seriously.

Harry stared at her for a few seconds before turning away without further words and heading out of the Great Hall again. The girl's words, they had been ominous to say the least and he couldn't think of what it could possibly be that was so terrible Draco couldn't even eat dinner first.

He moved through the corridors, down to the dungeon, as quickly as he could without breaking into a run. The password was spoken several paces before the entrance into the Slytherin territory so it was well and truly open by the time Harry reached it. With everyone at dinner, the common room was completely void of people which made an already disconcerting situation all the more tense.

When Harry finally reached the door which blocked him off from his dorm room, he stopped completely and only stood there for long moments. He was nervous, he couldn't deny that. He was nervous about what had happened to make Draco skip dinner, he was nervous about what exactly the bad news was. Slowly, he reached for the door knob but paused once again when he'd gripped it. Everything was going to change when he opened the door, he just knew it. After he stood there, procrastinating, for a good minute, Harry knew he could put it off no longer. He turned the knob and pushed the door inwards, entering the room.

"Draco?" He greeted the room quietly as he peered around the edge of the door. What he saw startled him greatly.

There Draco was, sitting on the edge of his bed, his elbows resting on his knees and his head bowed and in his hands. On the floor, between his feet, was a crumbled piece of parchment. The thing which startled Harry, however, was the three or four ruined books which littered the floor. Pages were ripped out and strewn everywhere and the covers had obviously been thrown as they rested at various points near the walls. Also, the curtains around Draco's bed had either been yanked down completely or were hanging on by a thread.

"What happened?" Harry questioned, slightly concerned that some sort of fight had taken place.

"Oh, I did all this." Draco's voice mumbled tonelessly.

"Why?"

"I got a letter from my parents."

Harry carefully moved closer to his lover, acting as though the slightest wrong move would have the blond explode or something. When he reached the Malfoy's side, he bent down to pick up the piece of crumpled parchment. He smoothed it out as he stood again and, when he could, read what had been written inside. As realisation and understanding dawned on him, his blood ran cold and the backs of his eyes began to sting with the beginnings of tears.

"You...Are to be married?" Harry whispered, staring down at the letter, his eyes fixed on the sentence:

"Since you refuse to choose a suitable wife for yourself, your mother and I have decided it is best to choose one for you. You will be married on the 21st of June this year; this is not up for debate. You will marry or you will be disinherited, there will be no third option."

"No!" Draco immediately protested, standing abruptly and snatching the parchment out of Harry's hand. "I'm not getting married, not now, not ever!" He protested as he screwed up the paper again and threw it violently to the side. Seizing both of Harry's hands in his own then, he brought them up to his lips so they ever-so-slightly brushed across the flesh as he spoke. "Unless it's to you, I'm not going to marry at all."

"But you will lose everything; I doubt your parents' threat to disown you is an empty one."

"But I'll still have you and that means so much more to me than a name and money."

"You wish to fight this then?" Harry asked quietly.

"With everything I have." Draco confirmed with the upmost severity.

"Then I will help you."

The blond smiled and stiffened his lips in a kiss against the hand of Harry's which he still held to his mouth. "Then we have already won." He murmured sincerely.

* * *

13th April 1998: Midmorning

The second Harry was out of Divination, he was rushing to the library, eager to meet with Hermione. He wished to recruit the smartest girl in Hogwarts in his and Draco's search for a way in which to get the Malfoy out of his arranged marriage. Harry had barely paid any attention in his class as he anticipated asking the girl's help and then getting to work on the search. They had a deadline, the twenty-first of June, the sooner they got to work, the better.

Entering the library, Harry immediately noticed his friend sitting at the table they usually shared. He dashed over to her, his speed prompting her to look up at him even before he had spoken. "I need your help." He said breathlessly, all but collapsing into the seat next to the Gryffindor.

Hermione looked immediately concerned. "Of course, I'll help you with anything. What is it that's wrong?"

"Draco's parents are arranging him to marry the day after we graduate from Hogwarts. We must find a way to stop such a thing from happening before then."

"An arranged marriage!" The girl cried, obviously horrified with the thought. "Well, of course I'll help you, Harry, but I'm not sure what we can do."

"We have to research in order to discover a loop-hole or something that can be legally done to save Draco from having to marry."

"Do you have a plan on where to start?"

"There are several text books on Wizard law that I am aware of, I believe it best if we start with those."

Hermione nodded before giving Harry an encouraging smile. "We'll figure something out, you know, we'll find a way to let you and Draco stay together."

Harry gave a small nod but said nothing as anything positive he might've said would be a lie. He didn't share Hermione's confidence and he wasn't even sure there was a way to get Draco out of the arranged marriage. If there was a way though, with Hermione's help, they were sure to find it.

* * *

15th April 1998: Midday

It had been a bad couple of days. Every moment Harry had he spent trying to search for a way to excuse Draco from his arranged marriage and that included lesson times. He no longer paid any attention in his classes and instead spent it reading through books on law and the traditions of arranged marriages in the Wizarding world. Yet, despite all this effort and time put into it, he was no closer to finding a loop-hole of any kind. It was all beginning to affect the two young men, dampening theirs moods constantly and becoming the source of sleepless nights.

As Harry entered the Great Hall for lunch time, Draco's eyes were immediately on him, obviously eager to hear if the saviour had made any progress that morning during his free period and his Divination class. If the usually stoic youth's expression was anything to go by, however, it was the same story as always.

"Any luck?" Draco nevertheless asked as Harry slid into his seat.

"None." He answered predictably. "Arranged marriages are taken very seriously and it is almost impossible to find a way out once one has been started."

"Marry someone else before the arranged date, like me." Pansy suggested with a teasing leer.

"Absolutely not." Harry answered for Draco, his tone taking on a dangerous edge.

The girl simply grinned in amusement. "I do believe that's the most emotion I've ever heard in your voice. Anyway, I was suggesting it purely for your's and Draco's benefit. I know and understand the situation so you could carry on being together."

"And the fact that such a marriage would no doubt favour your disgraced family is simply something you would endure, correct?"

"It's not about being unable to continue our relationship, Pansy," Draco told her. "It's about not wanting to make that sort of commitment to anyone other than Harry. If two men could get married, we'd have no problem because I would have proposed to Harry months ago."

"How about you fake your deaths and run away to America?"

"Now you're just being facetious." The Malfoy muttered with an unamused glare.

Pansy didn't say anything to that and instead simply looked at the two young men sadly.

Turning his gaze away from the blonde girl, Harry looked to Draco and felt his heart ache in symapthy for his lover. Although it was hard on Harry too, it was even harder on Draco. The blond had to suffer the betrayel of his parents in trying to force him to marry as well as the frightening possibility that fighting could very well leave him nameless and virtually penniless at the end. He had so much more to lose than Harry did and yet was even more set against the marriage.

Harry shifted closer to Draco, offering his silent comfort as he rested his head against the taller young man's shoulder. A hand saught his out and laced their fingers together as the pressure of lips were pressed to his head, a wordless thank you.

* * *

20th April 1998: Afternoon

Things weren't getting better. In fact, if anything they were getting steadily worse. Still no loop-hole had been found to save Draco and they were running out of places to look. Even with Hermione being a star and doing more than her fair share of work, they had found nothing. Each day the two young men felt their hope slipping away and it was turning their moods darker and darker. Draco was becoming increasingly irritable with everyone, including Harry, but when the dark haired young man called him on it he'd immediately become overly apologetic and even weepy on the bad days. Harry seemed to be reverting back to his old ways as what little tone he had disappeared and, slowly, he was becoming as unresponsive to everything as he had been when he had first been woken.

Harry had a free period at that moment but he wasn't spending it in the library searching for answers. He was more in the mood to brood (a bad habit he had picked up from who knew where) and so was heading to his empty dorm room to do just that. Unfortunately for him, he never got that far before a voice he had only heard once before said his name. It caused him to pause in his step and turn around to come face to face with Narcissa Malfoy.

The young man stared across at the woman in silence for long moments before turning away, intending to continue on his way. "Draco is currently in Arithmancy." He told her tonelessly.

"I know he is, I've come to see you." Mrs Malfoy revealed.

Harry glanced over his shoulder and eyed the woman critically, looking her up and down for a moment before turning away from her once again. "It is unlikely that my godfather is in his rooms at the present time, we shall go there."

He started away in silence, simply expecting the woman to follow him. He quite honestly didn't care if she followed or not, she was possibly the last person on Earth that he wanted to talk to (or at least one of them). Her desire to talk to him didn't make much sense in Harry's mind either. What use was it? How was talking to him going to do anything? After all, Draco was the one she and her husband were trying to force the marriage onto and so surely he should've been the one they focussed their attention on.

The entire journey to Sirius and Remus' rooms was travelled in silence and even when they had entered the room and settled into their seats, Narcissa sitting on the sofa while Harry occupied an armchair, neither of them spoke. The Malfoy glanced around herself, seemingly intent on looking anywhere but at Harry while the Wizarding world's saviour stared at her intently. He wanted this over with but he could hardly start the conversation so he'd simply look at the woman until she started talking. If too long passed though, he'd have to give her an ultimatum; he wasn't about to spend his entire day sitting in silence with Narcissa Malfoy.

"I," the woman finally started, speaking softly and slowly. "I suppose you must be wondering why I came to speak to you."

Harry made no reply and instead continued to look at her coolly.

Narcissa glanced to Harry before looking away again, obviously awkward and trying to disguise it. "Well, I thought it would be wise to come and talk things through with you. Neither Lucius or I have really taken the time to explain what's happening; I suppose we just forgot that you wouldn't understand..."

"I understand everything perfectly." Harry interrupted her, his tone neutral but his voice like ice.

"Then you should know that it's what's best for Draco."

"I do not agree with that and neither does he."

"We're not asking for you and Draco to stop seeing each other completely." Narcissa revealed in a reassuring sort of tone, as if that was the only problem the young men could have had with the arrangement. "We know how happy you make him and we would never ask for him to give something like that up. But please, Harry, Draco can't afford for you to be selfish. He needs to marry and produce an heir to the Malfoy line and then stay married so that the child is raised in a suitable environment. So won't you talk to him? If Draco knew you were all right with things then he would consent to the marriage."

"No, he would not, and you do not know your son very well if you think otherwise."

A frown marred Narcissa's face at that. "I think I have been rather understanding and civil so far, so surely you owe me as much as to repay the curtesy."

"Why?" Harry asked simply.

"Why?" The woman echoed, apparently completely confused by the one word.

"Why should I repay the curtesy? You are the one asking something from me, you are the one who is trying to ruin both mine and Draco's lives, you are the one who is being incredibly insensitive to your son's feelings. I owe you nothing, Mrs Malfoy, nothing but contempt."

Perhaps that had been a little too much but Harry was feeling an anger he had never experienced before and although his tone betrayed nothing, he couldn't stop his words from being as harsh as they were. Narcissa appeared to be completely stunned by the declaration. Then, just as she had recovered and looked to be about the speak angry words of her own, the door into the room opened and both Remus and Sirius entered. They both stopped upon noticing the Malfoy.

"What are you doing here?" Sirius asked his cousin rudely.

"Nothing that is of any use." Harry answered for her as he stood and turned from the woman. "I have nothing more to say to you, Mrs Malfoy, it would be best if you returned to your home and husband."

Although Narcissa stood, she made no immediate move to leave and instead glared at Harry. "Yours and Draco's stubborness will get you no where. The marriage is legally binding and cannot be stopped so I suggest you accept it sooner rather than later." With those last words, the blonde woman swept towards the entrance, passing the three males without further comment.

Sirius watched her go with a dark scowl on his face and then turned to follow after her as she left the room.

Remus remained with Harry, moving his gaze onto the young man. "Are you all right, Harry?" He asked gently, placing a hand on the trembling youth's shoulder.

"I am scared..." Harry admitted in a whisper, sounding close to tears. "I am scared that she will take Draco away from me and there will be nothing I can do to stop her."

"Oh, Harry..."

"What can I do, Remus? He means everything to me, he is what makes me necessary."

His emotions finally catching up with him, Harry began to cry softly and he brought his hands up to cover his face. Remus gently turned him and pulled him into his arms, one hand still resting on the young man's shoulder while the other gently carded through his hair. That was how Sirius found them when he returned to the room not a minute later, Harry crying into his hands and Remus offering what little comfort soothing words and a gentle hold could provide.

* * *

22nd April 1998: Morning

Perhaps, Harry thought as he lay on his bed with a blank gaze fixed onto the canopy above, it was time to simply accept the fate which seemed so unavoidable. Nine full days he and Draco and Hermione had spent devoting most of their time to searching out a way to stop the Malfoy's arranged marriage and they had found nothing, not even something which might lead them to something else. So, maybe it was time to accept what seemed to be inevitable and concentrate on the hard task which would be coming to terms with it. Tears came to Harry's eyes even as he thought about it though; he so didn't want Draco to get married.

The sudden bang and movement of the dorm room door swinging open violently had Harry flickering his gaze from above just in time to see Draco hurry into the room, a heavy book open in his hands. The blond's expression was excited, hopeful, anxious. Just looking at the Malfoy stirred likewise emotions inside Harry as he began to push himself up into a sit.

"I've got it," Draco declared, heading straight over to Harry's bed. "This is how we're going to stop the marriage." He reached the side of the bed and set the book down. "Read the passage I've underlined."

Harry reached out to bring the book closer to himself and proceeded to do as Draco had instructed, reading the underlines words out loud. "A magical bonding, wherein two beings of magic bind their magical signitures together, discounts all other forms of bonding including that of marriage. However, such bonds are rarely created as they are irreversable and intimately link the lives of the two magical beings in all ways." The underlining of words stopped at that point.

A silence lingered for a short time then before the blond got impatient. "Well," he prompted anxiously. "What do you think?"

"You wish for us to bind our magics?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"Why?" Draco echoed in disbelief. "Surely you can see how perfect it is! It means more than marriage, Harry, and it isn't based on gender; two wizards can bond legally. It means my parents won't be able to force marriage on me, it means we'll get what we want; to be together, always."

"It is irreversable." Harry murmured, sounding as though he was talking to himself mostly.

"So my parents won't be able to even try and force me to break it."

"Your feelings for me may one day change and there will be no way for you to distance yourself from me."

"Don't make the mistake of thinking I'm doing this selflessly or something of the like." Draco told him, getting down on one knee and taking Harry's left hand in both of his own. "This is a completely selfish, extreme move. If we bond, nothing will ever be able to take you away from me. You'll be mine for an eternity, just like I'll be yours. So please, Harry, won't you do me the honour of bonding with me?"

Harry looked at Draco for what seemed like the longest time, his gaze neutral and yet clearly analytical in nature. Eventually, his mind was made up. "If you are certain, then I will consent."

"So, you will bond with me?"

"Yes, Draco, I will bond with you."

* * *

End of Chapter 15.

We're going to have a bonding! Oh, isn't that lovely? And, of course, after the bonding comes the bonding night XD  
Two more chapters left now; we're getting close to the end. Hope to see you all again next week :)

Hugs  
Dream


	16. 23rd Apr to 1st May 1998

Hi everyone :)

So many lovely reviews! Thank you to everyone who took the time, you all make the author (aka, me) very happy and even more eager to write :)  
I have yet another widely asked question to address now. Many people queried as to why Harry didn't call on the life-debt that Lucius owes him. In my understanding, a life-debt is only created when the save from death is immediate: James saving Severus when the danger was right there; Harry saving Pettigrew when Sirius was right there. In the last story, Harry did break Lucius out of Azkaban but I see that as a more indirect way of saving him from death. The way I see it, if Harry had rescued Lucius just as he was about to be given the Kiss then there would be a life-debt. The way I wrote it, I don't see there being a life-debt. However, if I have totally misunderstood canon and that's not the way in works in the original, then it's just the way it works in my AU XD  
Oh, very quick warning, the lemon at the end of the chapter is of a particularly graphic nature. You have been warned XD  
I have gone on enough, on with the chapter.

* * *

23rd April 1998: Morning

"This is rubbish."

"Hush Draco."

"Really though, it is. I mean, surely there has to be better choices than this "

"Unless you wish to ask your parents or Crabbe and Goyle then, no, there are no better choices, a fact you are already aware of."

"They can hardly be considered my friends though."

"They are my friends."

"Ugh, this is so rubbish."

If Harry had been the type, he would have rolled his eyes at Draco childish behaviour and immature words. As it was, he simply began to ignore the blond and allowed him to sulk. Harry was sure it was only for show anyway. If Draco was really so against the idea, he would protest far more strongly than he actually was.

Side by side they walked into the Great Hall and instead of turning to head to the Slytherin table, they started over towards the Gryffindor table. They unsurprisingly attracted a lot of attention from everyone in the immediate area but both young men ignored it, instead focussing on the two they wished to speak with. Hermione and Ron were sitting next to each other, chatting quietly. Neither was blusing which had to be a first.

Upon reaching the two Gryffindors, Harry took the initiative to greet them. "Good morning Hermione, good morning Ron."

"Good morning Harry." Hermione returned.

The Weasley gave a slight nod and a grunted, "alright?"

"Morning Harry." Neville Longbottom greeted with a tone which was caught somewhere between shy and eager.

Harry simply inclined his head at the greeting.

"Is there something you need?" The only girl present asked curiously, knowing there had to be something going on to warrant the two Slytherins to approach "enemy" territory.

"If you do not mind our interrupting your breakfast, Draco and I would very much appreciate it if you could come and speak with us just outside for a moment." Harry explained quietly, well aware of the people nearby who were straining their ears to listen.

"Of course we can, can't we Ron?"

"You mean right now? But I'm hungry." Ron protested.

Hermione frowned at that. "Now, Ron." She insisted sternly as she, herself, stood.

Ron gave a long suffering sigh and stood just after her, joining in the process of climbing over the bench. When his eyes met with Draco's, the blond smirked and made a quiet "wa'che" noise as he made a gesture which mimed the cracking of a whip. The Wealey's face turned slightly red, either from embarrassment or anger or perhaps a bit of both. That anger came to nothing though as the two Slytherins and Hermione started to head towards the Great Hall's entrance and he was required to move forward as well unless he wanted to be left behind.

The journey out was made in silence and they remained silent even as they came to a stop next to an alcove. Then, it was Ron who spoke up first. "So, what did you drag me away from my breakfast for?"

"We have discovered a way to stop Draco's arranged marriage." Harry revealed.

"Oh, that's wonderful!" Hermione gushed happily. "What is it?"

"We're going to bond." Draco answered proudly.

The look of happiness left the girl's face then as she looked more shocked than anything. Ron's mouth dropped in astonishment. Being a pureblood as well, he had more of an idea just how significant getting bonded was.

"You're not serious!" The Weasley accused in disbelief. "You know those things can't be reversed, right?"

"We are aware of all the details and technicalities." Harry assured.

"But it's forever! And you guys haven't even known each other for a full year yet. Don't you think it's kinda rushed?"

"A little, perhaps," Draco admitted reluctantly. "But my parents have given us little choice. If I simply refuse the marriage, I'll be disowned and my parents would have to pay a ridiculously large sum of money in compensation to the bride's family. As annoyed with my parents as I am right now, I can't ruin them like that. If I'm bonded though, that means I can't get married and, technically, it isn't a refusal. I'll probably still be disowned but at least my parents won't have to bankrupt themselves."

"Ah, a loop hole." Hermione murmured.

"We understand that it is not perfect," Harry spoke then. "And there will be people who do not approve, but I, we, hope that you will not hold it against us."

"Oh Harry, of course we won't," the girl reassured soothingly. "I for one am behind you all the way, just as long you're sure it's what you and Draco both want."

"Yeah, Hermione's right," Ron agreed. "I think your both nuts for doing it so soon but if it's what you want I've got no right to judge."

"Weasley gave us his blessing; I can die happily now." Draco grunted sarcastically and although Ron shot him an annoyed glare, both Harry and Hermione simply ignored him.

"We were also wondering," Harry said to the girl as the other two boys continued to glare/smirk at one another. "If you would both care to be part of the ceremony."

"Really?" Hermione asked excitedly and the proposal even caught Ron's attention.

"Yes. The ritual requires four witnesses and it would make us both happy if you would consent to being two of them."

"We'd love to! Wouldn't we Ron?"

"You're sure you want me?" The ginger haired young man asked slightly warily. "I mean, we don't know each other that well and I'm hardly Malfoy's greatest fan. Are you sure you don't want someone you know a bit better?"

"There is no one else suitable for the position." Was all Harry said to that.

Ron sighed and scratched the back of his head. "Well, I'll do it if you really want me to."

"Don't do us any favours." Draco muttered. Luckily, his voice didn't seem to travel across to Ron as the Weasley made no reaction.

"Thank you both," Harry said, just the barest hint of sincerity breaking through his monotone.

Hermione positively beemed at him and even Ron seemed to be struggling not to grin. Draco no longer looked so harsh and reluctant and Harry had the smallest of smiles curving his lips. It seemed that, finally, things were starting to get better.

* * *

23rd April 1998: Midday

"We are to be bonded."

Those five simple words had Sirius and Remus completely frozen in their places, eyes wide in either surprise or horror (or perhaps both) and with stares stuck on the two young men who stood in front of them, holding hands, united in their revelation. It had been Harry who had spoken as the two professors were his family, Draco was simply there, standing in the middle of the living room of the adults' quarters, for moral support.

There was quiet as the information was allowed to sink in and each pair of males continued to stare at each other mutely. Then, finally, it was Remus who spoke first in a rather strained voice. "Bonded? You mean, magically?"

"Is there any other form?" Harry asked in his usual monotone.

"Well, no, but..."

"You can't!" Sirius suddenly protested. "You're both far too young!"

"Perhaps," Harry admitted. "And perhaps if the situation was different, we would wait some years before we made this decision. However, time is not on our side and if we do not bond before the end of the school year then we will never be able to."

"You're doing it to stop the arranged marriage." Remus murmured, obviously having only just worked that out.

"Yes, we are."

"Surely there has to be another way, a better way!" Sirius tried though even he sounded doubtful.

"There is no other way, we have tried to search for another way and have found nothing; this is all we can do. We are telling you this because I, we, want you involved in the ceremony," Harry explained quietly. "The ritual requests the participation of four witnesses and a father figure to one of the wizards who is bonding. I would like it very much if you, Sirius, would act in place of my father, and you, Remus, would be one of our witnesses." He paused then and looked away from the two men. "If you find you cannot bring yourselves to participate though, I understand."

Sirius and Remus went back to staring at Harry stupidly and so the teenager allowed them the time to process everything; it was a lot for them to take in after all. Though, in all truth, it shouldn't have been too surprising. Both the men knew about how desperate Harry and Draco were to beat the arranged marriage and they should have anticipated the possibility that the teenagers would resort to bonding to do so.

It was Sirius who broke the silence that second time with a long, huffed out sigh. "Well," he said awkwardly as he ran a hand through his hair. "Since it's obvious we won't be able to stop you and it's doubtful you'd call it all off even if we refused to be a part of it, there wouldn't be much point in saying no. We'd just be cutting off our noses to spite our faces."

"Then, you will be a part of it?" Harry asked, his tone sounding almost hopeful.

Sirius glanced to Remus who returned the look with one of his own. Then, the werewolf closed his eyes and gave a small nod. Sirius did the same before opening his eyes again soon after and turning to look at Harry and Draco. "You have our blessings and our support."

Harry was moving before anyone could properly register it. He hurried across the space which had previously separated him from his godfathers so he could throw himself into their arms, bringing his own arms up to curl around their necks. The other three males were completely stunned by the action because it was the first time Harry had ever initiated any physical contact with either Sirius or Remus. It was really quite amazing and both men froze on the spot.

But then, slowly, Remus' eyes softened as a small smile curved his lips while Sirius' eyes filled with tears and he turned his head to bury his nose in his godson's hair. Both men brought their arms up and around the younger male to return the embrace, still not keen on the situation but willing to accept it because it made Harry so happy.

* * *

24th April 1998: Morning

"We won't be able to have a honeymoon straight away, what with school not being over yet, but the bond needs a couple of days of joint solitude to stabalise so I think we should find the most expensive hotel we can and book a weekend break." Draco said as he idly buttered a slice of toast.

Harry finished pouring his tea before he replied. "The most expensive? Do you not think that is wasteful?"

"Not at all. It would be best if we didn't leave the room for the entire time so it has to be nice."

"Expensive does not necessarily mean the best."

"Why are you complaining?" Pansy asked from where she sat opposite them. "The guy you love is offering a ridiculously luxurious and high priced weekend away."

"I have no need for luxury and expense. As long as I am with Draco, I do not care what is around me." Harry replied quietly as he reached for the milk to add to his tea.

Draco set a smug look onto the girl. "And that's why you never held my interest." He told her pointedly.

"Oh please, anyone else saying that and you wouldn't hesitate to call them a liar. Just because it's Potter and he's our oh so glorious saviour, you don't even suspect him of simply speaking to make himself look good."

"Not everyone thinks like you," the Malfoy said with an annoyed glare. "Besides, there's no point trying to talk big, you know as well as I do that it's common sense to accept that Harry isn't one for extravagance considering it's not what he's used to."

"I think it unnecessary," Harry put in then. "Why pay a hundred galleons for a place to stay for a weekend when the same thing can be bought for a fraction of that price?"

"Ugh, I can't be bothered to explain it to you," Pansy muttered dismissively. "I doubt you'd understand anyway."

"You are correct, I probably would not."

The Slytherins' conversation was interrupted then when the owls delivering the morning post started to fly over head. One landed right in front of Draco, one which was unwelcomely familiar to them all at one point; it was the owl which belonged to Lucius Malfoy. A letter was tied to its leg and Draco removed it swiftly and silently, completely ignoring the bird afterwards and offering nothing to it as a treat. Harry did so for him, taking a triangle of toast from the blond's plate and ripping off some small chunks to give to the owl. Meanwhile, Draco ripped open the envelope and pulled out the letter inside to read.

"What does it say?" Pansy asked curiously after a few minutes had passed.

Draco offered the letter to the girl who accepted it eagerly. "The name of the girl they want me to marry," he said by way of explanation to Harry.

"Astoria Greengrass." Pansy read.

Further up the table, a blonde haired girl looked down to them having apparently been alerted by the sound of her name and, upon seeing who had spoken her name, she blushed and offered a shy smile and a tiny, flirting wave. The three Seventh Years turned to look at her and Harry felt an immediate swell of dislike for her which was uncharacteristic of him. He could hardly be blamed though, this was the one Draco was supposed to marry and she appeared to be far too eager about it. Despite his feelings however, he didn't scowl or glare at the younger Slytherin, he simply looked away, dismissing her existence from his mind.

"Isn't she too young?" Pansy murmured with a glare at the girl who shied away at the harsh look.

"Hardly matters considering I'm not doing it." Draco murmured, taking back the letter and re-folding it before tearing it neatly into two.

"Is it necessary to be so harsh?" Harry asked quietly, noticing the girl in question seemed to tear up at the sight of Draco ripping the letter. There was no need to cause the girl any extra sadness or humiliation.

"If she doesn't like it then she shouldn't be looking over here, she has no reason to." Was all the Malfoy said to that.

Harry sighed lightly but said nothing more. He returned to his cup of tea and remained quiet as his lover and their female house mate discussed the bonding.

* * *

30th April 1998: Night

Harry bit back a sigh as he dressed himself for bed, his gaze continuously flickering to the sight of his bed. It had been months since he had slept in it, it had been months since he had last slept alone and now, once again, he was required to sleep in his bed, on his own.

It was traditional that for twenty-four hours before a bonding, those who were due to be bonded had no physical contact. They could speak to each other, in fact they could spend that entire twenty-four hour period with no one else but each others company, but they weren't allowed to touch the other. It wasn't part of the ritual, it was simply tradition, and Harry and discovered that Draco was a stickler for tradition. Harry wasn't fussed either way and so upheld the tradition for his soon-to-be bond partner's sake. He wasn't too keen on the idea of sleeping alone once again but he agreed to it and if it made Draco happy then it was worth it he supposed.

Dressed in his pyjamas, having already had a shower and brushed his teeth, Harry pulled back the duvet on his bed and climbed in, snuggling into the covers as he pulled them up around him. His plan was to (at least attempt) go to sleep straight away. Tomorrow was set to be a busy day and he would no doubt need all the energy he could get. Draco appeared to have made the same decision as he too was already getting into bed.

"Do you realise," the blond said as he settled himself down. "That this time tomorrow, we're going to a bonded couple? It's so exciting, though a little daunting as well, don't you think?"

"Yes." Harry murmured though whether he did actually feel the same or was simply saying what he knew Draco wanted to hear was unknown.

"I'd like to see my parents' faces when they see the announcement in the Daily Prophet, they'll probably have kittens." Draco chuckled before pausing as the sound of shifting came. Harry glanced to his side to see the Malfoy roll over to face him. "You will be all right sleeping on your own, right?" He asked, a slight hint of concern in his tone.

"I have slept on my own before, I see no reason why a few months of sharing your bed will have changed that."

"If you have a nightmare, I want you to wake me up."

"I see little point in doing so."

"It would make me feel better."

Harry gave a light sigh. "Very well then." He consented, still not seeing what the point was.

Draco smiled, obviously reassured, before he started to shift around again. Then, when he was satisfied with his new position, he closed his eyes to the world. "Good night Harry." He wished quietly.

"Good night Draco." Harry returned just as quietly.

Although no more was spoken after that and so Harry was free to carry out his plan of going to sleep straight away, his mind was too active to let him slip into sleep. It was hard to believe that it was already time for their bonding. Only a week had passed, everything had been arranged swiftly but well and so there was little doubt it was going to be a special, memorable day but Harry still felt...Anxious? Nervous? Scared? He couldn't really identify what it was he was feeling but whatever it was made his heart beat seem more noticeable and filled him with extra energy. He was both anticipating and dreading the rising of the sun but he couldn't quite put his finger on why his emotions were mixed. Idly, Harry wondered if it was normal to feel such conflicting thoughts about something as life changing and significant as bonding/marriage or whether it was simply an effect of his past.

Harry sighed low and slow as he stared up at the canopy of his bed. Apparently, it was going to be a very long night.

* * *

1st May 1998: Midday

His heart was racing, he felt ill, his body was trembling and he was pretty sure that when the time arrived for him to speak his words would come out shaken. And the most infuriating part? He had absolutely no idea why his body was acting the way it was.

It was only half past ten in the morning and already Harry felt as though he'd lived an entire week. He'd slept no more than a couple of hours the night before and had been required to get up at six o'clock that morning. Then there had been an almost frantic hurry to gather everything he'd need for a weekend away before he and Draco were due to meet up with Pansy, Hermione, Ron, Remus and Sirius in order to discreetly leave Hogwarts (as Remus and Sirius were teachers, they were technically allowed to grant students permission to leave the school for a limited period). Then, they had gone to Grimmauld Place so everyone could change into their ceremonial robes and any other last minute things could be taken care of. Finally, it had been time to leave for the Ministry where the binding ceremony would be taking place.

And that was where everyone was at now, right in the middle of the bonding on Harry James Potter and Draco Lucius Malfoy. The two young men who were in the process of bonding were standing at the front of a small room filled with a dozen or so chairs and tamely but beautifully decorated for the occassion. Only the first row of chairs was occupied, Sirius and Ron and Hermione sitting on Harry's side while Remus and Pansy sat on Draco's side (it had been decided that Remus would be one of Draco's witnesses as the relationship between the Malfoy and Ron was hardly what could be considered friendly). Almost everyone was crying; Pansy and Hermione not even trying to be discreet about it as they dabbed at their eyes with hankerchiefs while Remus and Sirius just had glassy eyes. Ron was the only one who seemed unimpressed and kept glancing at Hermione beside him as though she was strange to cry.

The Ministry official who was performing the bonding was an extremely old witch who was also rather chubby in a cuddly sort of way. She seemed pleasant enough, not that Harry really cared. He was too busy trying to remember exactly what he was due to say next and trying to control his shaking hand as Draco held it to slip on the bonding ring. The ring, filled with a small amount of Draco's blood, easily slipped onto the ring finger of his left hand and Draco gave the hand a squeeze before he released it, having obviously felt the shaking.

The ring bit then over (as Harry had already done it to Draco), the Ministry official cheerfully issued the next instruction. "Now, join your left hands."

The two young men did just that, Harry's hand still incredibly unsteady but it was held still in the blond's firm grip.

"Harry, if you could please now state your promise to Draco." The plump woman instructed.

Harry took in a deep breath and swallowed back his nerves. "With the offering of my hand, I, Harry James Potter, promise to both guide and follow Draco Lucius Malfoy by combining our magics together. This promise is made in the light of the trust, friendship and love we share this day and for every day here after." His voice was quiet and as stoic as always and for once he was glad; stoic was better than shakey or squeaky.

"And now you Draco."

"With the offering of my hand, I, Draco Lucius Malfoy, promise to both guide and follow Harry James Potter by combining our magics together. This promise is made in the light of the trust, friendship and love we share this day and for every day here after." The blond said in a calm and happy tone and he smiled the entire time.

It was then that the actual bonding happened. The Ministry official made an intricate movement of her wand over the joined hands of the young men as she chanted the spell (which was naturally in Latin) effortlessly. A white glow and small tendrils of magic were visible around the held hands for several seconds as the spell was cast. For Draco and Harry, a burst of warm energy swept through them as the magic of the other entered their body and mingled with their own magic. It was a beautiful feeling, nothing like an orgasm or anything of the such, but it felt wonderful and neither of the teenagers ever wanted the feeling to fade. Alas, it did fade though, at the same time as the glow around their hands faded. But it was a happy moment nonetheless because they knew. Even before the Ministry official made the announcement to their family and friends, they knew.

They were now officially bonded for life, they could never be separated.

* * *

1st May 1998: Evening

One would think that at ten o'clock in the evening on a day that started at six in the morning, people would start to think about going to sleep. In an ideal world for Harry, that would be the case. However, no matter how worn his body was, how heavy his eyelids felt and how insistently the king-sized bed in their Muggle hotel room called to him, the time had not yet come for him to bed down for the night.

After the ceremony had ended, the proper documents had been signed and a copy of their bonding photo had been sent to the Daily Prophet (so everyone in the United Kingdom would find out all at the same time on Monday morning) before the abligatory celebration meal had been had at Grimmauld Place. Despite the odd combination of people (two school professors, two Gryffindors, two Slytherins and a saviour whose idea of a conversation was to give one word answers) it had been a pleasant and joyful afternoon. At five o'clock, Hermione and Ron and Pansy had been required to say their goodbyes as they had to return to the school so while Sirius and Remus took them, Harry and Draco had taken advantage of having the house to themselves by having a nap. Then, when the two men returned, they had to be on the move again to the five-star Muggle hotel Draco had insisted on splashing out on for their weekend "honeymoon". They had chosen Muggle simply so neither of them would be recognised because although everyone would know when the papers were delivered on Monday, no one could know before then.

And that was where Harry and Draco were at that moment. Their very nice, very big, very comfortable room in the Muggle hotel. In order for their bond and their magic to stablise completely, it would be best if they didn't mix with too many other people for the following twenty-four hours and that was the only reason Harry had allowed Draco to spend so much money on a weekend break. If they weren't going to leave the room, the room needed to have everything they might need ready for them and, fortunately, the place they were in pretty much did have everything they might need over the weekend.

While Harry lay on the king sized bed with his eyes closed (not asleep but merely resting them) Draco was pottering around in their ensuite bathroom doing something. Harry would have assumed the blond was showering or bathing if not for the fact he hadn't heard the shower or the taps running. He wouldn't usually have cared but he had been left with the instruction not to fall asleep until Draco came back out and although Harry was curious, he was also rapidly losing his fight to stay awake.

The sound of the bathroom door opening had green eyes flashing open in an instant as they darted over just in time to see Draco poke his head around the door. "You weren't asleep, were you?" The blond inquired, his tone teasing.

"I was merely resting my eyes." Harry assured as he sat up and stretched his arms. "What were you doing in there for so long?"

"I was preparing your treat."

Harry said nothing to that and continued to simply look at the one he was bound to for life.

"The night after a bonding is supposed to be a time for new experiences and, well, if I had known we were going to get bonded so soon, I probably would've waited to take your virginity," Draco explained, still staying behind the bathroom door. "Since that ship has sailed, I thought we could do something more...Adventurous." It was at this point that the blond opened the door and stepped out, causing Harry to sit up a bit straighter and his eyes to widen. One might be forgiven for thinking the reaction was caused by the fact Draco was completely naked but in truth, the fact there were two naked Dracos was far more shocking.

"What have you..." Harry murmured, his words trailing off in disbelief as he stared at his bonded and the exact replica of his bonded.

"After getting over the shock of what happened to you on Valentines Day, I became intrigued by that spell you used to make your reflection real. It took me quite a while but I eventually found a book that described the incantation and wand movements in detail. I've tried it several times, all with the intent on using it tonight."

"Why?"

"Like I said, for tradition. Tonight can't be your first time having sex so instead we'll both have a first tonight; a threesome." Here, Draco paused and he and his solid reflection smirked identically. "Naturally, I wouldn't want to share you with anyone else but I don't mind sharing you with myself."

Harry truly didn't know what to say to that and so could do nothing more than stare dumbly at the identical blonds. The thought of a threesome had never even entered his mind before, he wasn't even sure how it was done, after all, the act of mating was surely an activity for just two people, he couldn't see what position a third person could occupy. Very suddenly he felt as he had the night of his first time: anxious; excited; not knowing entirely what was about to happen. He wasn't scared though, definitely not scared, because he was with Draco and he trusted Draco more than anything. The fact that there were two Dracos would surely mean he was doubly safe. That thought made a smile curve the corners of Harry's mouth and softened his eyes.

"Penny for your thoughts, love?" The Malfoy purred as he and his reflection started towards the young man sitting on the bed.

"The thought that, because there are currently two of you, I am twice as safe as I normally am. A rather foolish thought, I admit." Harry said softly, turning his gaze up to meet real pewter eyes, the form of the reflection visible just off to his left.

Whether Draco agreed that it was a foolish thought or not remained unknown as the blond said nothing. Instead, he simply leaned down and kissed the tip of Harry's nose tenderly. At the shifting of one of his lover's hands, Harry's eyes flickered onto the sight of Draco drawing his wand. Not two seconds and a murmured spell later then the saviour was suddenly completely naked, his robe and his underwear and his shoes having all vanished into thin air. Even his glasses had disappeared somewhere.

"Now," Draco murmured, his tone light and almost amused, as he made his way around the bed, away from Harry. "I do believe I'd like to indulge in a little narcissm and marvel at just how attractive I am whi;e ravishing you."

Before Harry could properly realise what his lover was talking about, Draco's reflection was in front of him and had leaned down to capture his lips with its own. Although at the back of his mind, it occured to him that it wasn't the real Draco he was kissing, Harry could honestly tell no difference and when he closed his eyes and returned the kiss, he may as well have been kissing the real Draco. The feel, the technique, they were identical as common sense suggested they should have been.

Harry quite lost himself in the kiss and so he was taken by suprise when the reflection suddenly grabbed his shoulders and pushed him down onto the bed. In a mere blink of the eye later, it was on top of him, kneeling between his spread legs with the upper body hovering over his own. It lowered its head and crushed its lips to Harry, prying his lips apart with its tongue as their hips, and erections, ground together. The first sparks of pleasure began to tingle and Harry spread his legs wider, bumping one of them against the real Draco who had moved onto the bed to sit beside them.

As Draco moved off of the bed for some reason, the blond's reflection rolled over and brought Harry with it, coming to a stop when he was on top of it and not once was the kiss broken as this was done. Though, Harry did crack an eye open in search of where Draco was. Without his glasses he could see nothing in detail but enough to make out at least where his lover was. He saw nothing though and he was just thinking of breaking the kiss to call the blond's name when Draco revealed his location himself as a set of warm hands grasped both cheeks of Harry's buttox and spread them apart. Harry couldn't stop himself from tensing and breaking the kiss when a warm and slick tongue traced along the inside curve, slowly edging closer to the hole which was clenching, of its own accord, in anticipation.

Harry literally forgot to breathe when the tongue pried at his entrance, the tip just breeching him over and over again. Green eyes clenched shut as Harry struggled to get the required air he needed. His muscles slackened by themselves causing his head to fall forward to rest on his reflection's shoulder and allowing the clever muscle which was rimming him to slip past the initial ring of muscles of his anus. It was not something Harry had ever imagined in his darkest fantasies. As always, his body moved of its own valition, sending his hips rocking back slightly. He choked in a breath when a slick finger joined the tongue, sliding inside of him, caressing his inner walls. As a second finger soon joined the one already inside him, he canted his hips to allow it better access. When the third finger was added it brought with it a slight discomfort but it was forgotten when a hand wrapped around his erection and slowly pumped him, just enough to distract him from the pain but not enough to send him over the edge.

When a forth finger was carefully slipped into him, Harry's eyes shot open in surprise. Draco's tongue left him as the four fingers pumped in and out and carefully stretched his entrance. Hot, open-mouthed kiss were being pressed to his lower back, his rear and his thighs. Then, just as he was getting used to the extra stretch and the warm kisses, the entire hand left, only to return a moment or two later with the thumb in addition.

Harry instinctively tensed. "Draco..." He said unsurely.

"Shhh, it's all right, relax Harry. Trust me, this will feel good. I want you to take us both, me and my reflection in you at the same time." Draco whispered huskily, leaning over Harry until his lips were just next to the shell of his ear. "Can you imagine it? You'll be stretched so completely, filled right to the brim. Can you imagine how good it will feel?"

Those words, husked in such a dark, aroused voice distracted Harry from the burn of the four fingers and the thumb slipping into him. His gaze flickered onto the sight of the reflection, staring down at him with bright pewter eyes. Its expression was concerned and yet encouraging, as though it was reassuring him that he understood the pain but that he knew Harry was strong enough to take it, all of it.

Harry just couldn't stop tensing up though and it wasn't making any of it easier. Draco was persistant though and continued to work the muscle gently, using his free hand to add more lubricant whenever he felt the need to. Unfortunately, for Harry, the process was anything but fun for what seemed the longest time, but then that sweet spot inside of him was hit. Whether the pain disappeared at that point or whether the pleasure simply drowned it out, Harry suddenly found himself enjoying Draco's attentions, finally.

"That's it, Harry, getting nice and relaxed, won't be long now." The Malfoy purred.

A low, whispered moan left Harry as he started to enjoy himself more and more, his hips moving to try and get the four fingers and thumb to go in deeper, faster. He looked up and once again locked gazes with Draco's reflection, his eyes heavy lidded and pleasure hazed. Harry reached out and laced his fingers through the strands of soft, silver-blond hair. It might not have been the real Draco but for that moment, it was enough. The dark haired young man gave a low sound in protest when the fingers left his body, leaving him feeling completely empty. Fortunately, he was not left alone for long though before he was turned over, the reflection turning with him so it was underneath. He then felt his hips being moved and directed into position. He was dragged down the reflection's body slowly until he was in the ideal position. Another breathy moan of pleasure left Harry when he felt something far more satisfying than fingers slide slowly into him.

Hands on Harry's slim hips gently eased him up and down, just enough to guide him into riding the length buried inside him so deeply already. He did so, taking the movement up himself and creating a rhythm which suited him. Before Harry could get too enthusiastic about it however, a third hand made itself known as it applied a light pressure to his lower back, silently directing him to lay down on top of the one he was connected to as flat as possible. Harry complied and lowered himself down until his bare chest was pressed flat against that of the reflection. He couldn't help but feel a flutter of anxiety as a couple of fingers wriggled their way into his already stretched entrance but there was surprisingly no pain. Unfortunately, the same could not be said when he felt Draco align himself at his already filled hole, his true bonded's chest covering his back. A pained gasp escaped Harry at the sensation of a second erection entering him, stretching him further than he had ever felt before. Hot fingers ran up his sides, down his back, smoothed over the curve of his rear, touched him almost everywhere they could reach and that helped to keep Harry's anxiety in check. It didn't help the pain but it stopped him from getting too worked up over it.

Harry could feel every vein and subtle curve of the identical lengths inside him as his inner muscles slowly started to relax around the intrusions. He heard Draco's harsh breathing in his ear and knew that he was finding it difficult to retain what little composure he had left. Once again, Harry was reassured and he relaxed that little bit more.

"Merlin, I wish you could see us Harry," Draco husked in his ear, the heat of his breath almost scolding. "Does it hurt? Or does it feel good? Do you feel more filled and complete than ever before?"

For a moment, all Harry could do in reply was gasp. He intended to answer, he really did, but when he opened his mouth to speak, the words he planned on vocalising disappeared and instead, a plea came out. "Please, move."

The words were nothing more than whispered exhalations of breath, but Draco heard them easily. "As you wish, my love."

It began slowly, perhaps because Draco was still aware that it would be all too easy to hurt Harry at that moment. At the same time that the reflection thrust upwards, pushing even further into Harry, Draco dragged out. Then, as Draco pushed back in, the reflection took its turn to pull out. And that was the rhythm they had soon created; one slowly in as the other came slowly out. Almost immediately Harry was trying to move against them, his earlier pain and discomfort even less than a memory. Then, very suddenly, he found the perfect angle so that his prostate was constantly stimulated as either one of the erections entered him his sweet spot was nudged. The sheer pleasure made him freeze, stopping his breathing, made his hands clench the shoulders of the body beneath him. Draco may have asked him if he was all right but he wasn't really sure; reality seemed to be nothing more than the suffocating haze of pleasure he was currently wrapped in.

Tears formed in those emerald eyes, making them sparkle like the jewels which shared their colour. Still, Harry struggled to breathe as he became dizzy from the pleasurable torment. His hips moved of their own accord, humping as best as they could from where they were sandwiched between the twin bodies beneath and above him.

The build up started slowly as the rhythm of the movement began to speed up. It started as the usual fluttering tingle and continued to grow as Harry was used to but then he passed the point he usually reached his peak. Instead of the pleasure reaching its limit and exploding, it kept on growing, kept on gathering, became more intense until it was something more familiar to a torture. What exquisite torture it was though. Harry wanted it to end, but at the same time he wanted it to last forever.

When the pressure burst, it was too intense. Harry's eyes clenched shut tightly as his orgasm rushed through him. It blurred the line between pleasure and pain. It felt so good that it almost hurt and Harry gasped and panted and soon began to hyperventilate as the edges of his vision began to blur. He didn't quite pass out but he came very close.

The contractions of his channel set off Draco and Harry felt the warmth of the blond's seed fill him to over flowing. Some seeped out, tickling his over stimulated flesh but enough remained to allow the withdrawl of both lengths to be smooth and relatively painless. There was a slight twinge but nothing more than that.

Completely exhausted, Harry lay slumped on top of the reflection's chest. He murmured incoherently when he felt strong arms wrap around his waist, holding him closely as he was lifted up enough for the body underneath him to slip out. Barely awake, he didn't hear the murmured spell and he barely felt the tingle of magic washing over him, cleaning his skin. The sound of a door opening just about registered in Harry's mind and he forced an eye open and through his blurred vision saw the two Dracos enter the bathroom. Mere seconds later and only one came back in. It was only when Harry felt that body climb into bed beside him and wrap him in a warm embrace and a kiss be pressed to his temple that he allowed his consciousness to leave him completely and finally, after the longest day of his life, he fell into a peaceful slumber.

* * *

End of Chapter 16.  
There comes a time in every writer's life where they write something they're really embarrassed by. The first erotic scene I ever wrote was one for me, the one in this chapter is also another one XD I debated with myself for so long about whether I wanted to actually post it. I even wrote a different one with normal, same old vanilla love-making. I don't know why I went for this one, I really don't.  
I'm far too embarrassed to hang around to talk anymore. See you all next week for the final chapter.

Hugs  
Dream


	17. 4th May 1998

Hi everyone :)

Here we are, the final chapter. I'll leave all that needs to be said until the end. For now, let's just get on with wrapping things up. Please enjoy :)

* * *

4th May 1998: Morning

The weekend had been, in a single word, glorious, and Harry and Draco returned to Hogwarts seemingly more in love than ever. Then, things turned slightly ugly as reality caught up with them. As soon as they had set foot in the Great Hall, there had been complete silence and everyone had turned and stared at them. That had been no problem and neither of the Slytherins had cared. However, when the headmistress angrily marched over to them and demanded to see them in her office immediately, Harry couldn't deny that even he had felt a slight flutter of anxiety.

Now sitting in the woman's office beside Draco, Harry was gradually calming and coming to see the situation for what it really was.

"It was completely irresponsible of the both of you," McGonagall told them, her scolding lasting for what felt like a life time. "Not to mention in violation of at least ten school rules. And to drag your godfather into this, Potter, though he should've known better anyway. If not for the fact that he and Professor Lupin are on a year contract only, I would be forced to fire them both for their part in this."

"With all due respect, Professor," Draco said with a reasonable tone. "Both myself and Harry are seventeen, we're both adults."

"But you are still students here and so should follow the rules like everyone else. Any other student who showed such blatant disrespect of the rules, which are there for nothing more than your own protection, would be expelled without a second thought." The woman told them shortly.

"We are to be expelled then?"

That question made the headmistress stop speaking and look at the two young men with a sort of annoyance. Harry knew what she had been trying to do, she had been trying to unnerve them, to make them think that the consequences of their actions would be far more drastic and negative than she actually had in mind. By calling the woman on it when he had, Harry had effectively ended her scare tactics and was forcing her to reveal the reality of the situation much sooner than she had probably planned to.

"Since this is a first offence for the both of you, I think expulsion would be unreasonable." McGonagall told them stiffly and reluctantly. "You will be punished however, and most severely. Each of you shall have two hours of evening detention every week day until the end of the school year. You will have them separately and at different times, understand?"

"Yes, Headmistress." Harry answered for the both of them.

The woman continued to frown at them. "Well, considering you have classes to attend you had best be leaving now." She told them, making a shooing motion with her hand.

Harry and Draco stood and turned to leave without further word, naturally moving closer to each other after rounding their chairs. Draco had just reached the door and took hold of the knob when McGonagall's voice came again.

"Oh, and gentlemen?"

The two teenagers turned to look at the old witch.

No longer frowning but instead smiling happily, she gave them a nod of approval. "Congratulations on your bonding."

* * *

4th May 1998: Midday

That morning had been like a step back in time to Harry, to his first days at Hogwarts where everyone would stop and stare and whisper about him. He still didn't care and Draco didn't seem to either so he had nothing against it. If people wanted to gossip and ogle them then he had no objections. He would start to object, however, if people started to come up and ask questions. No one had done that yet but there was still half a day to get through.

At that moment, hand in hand, the recently bonded couple were entering the Great Hall for lunch. They expected the numerous pairs of eyes which turned to look at them upon their entrance but neither expected to be swiftly greeted by Hermione with Ron trailing not too far behind her.

"How was your weekend?" The Gryffindor girl asked immediately, coming to a quick stop right in front of the Slytherins.

"Exhausting." Draco leered, sending a sidewards glace to Harry.

"It was very pleasant, thank you Hermione." Harry spoke as though Draco didn't even exist.

"Must've been nice to get out of school for a few days," Ron pipped up then. "What I wouldn't give to get out of here for a while."

"Honestly Ron, one more month and you'll never have to come here again." The girl huffed irritably.

"One month too much if you ask me."

"You won't be saying that when the summer comes and you have to find a job."

"Yeah, well..."

"Is there a reason," Draco interrupted then, cutting the two Gryffindors off. "You came and stopped us other than to sit at the side lines of a lovers' domestic?"

Both Hermione and Ron blushed at the Malfoy's words and the girl quickly began to root through her school bag. "We saved you the page with your bonding announcement on it from the Daily Prophet," she revealed, still blushing but now also smiling, as she pulled said page out of the bag on her shoulder. "I know you have the original copy of the photo but I thought you might like the announcement anyway."

"Thank you." Harry murmured as he accepted the piece of paper, immediately unfolding it and looking down at his and Draco's bonding announcement.

The first thing the reader was greeted with was the photo taken after the bonding of everyone who had been at the service. Harry and Draco were, of course, in the centre of the group, facing the camera head on, the blond standing behind the smaller youth with an arm around his waist and one of Harry's hands raised to his lips. To their right was Sirius, who looked the spitting image of a proud father despite himself, and Ron and Hermione, who were holding hands and standing close. To the bonded couple's left were Remus and Pansy. Everyone, including Harry, was smiling happily. Underneath the photo were the words, "Proud godfathers Sirius Black and Remus Lupin would like to announce the bonding of their godson Harry James Potter to Draco Lucius Malfoy on the 1st of May 1998. May their life together be happy and peaceful."

"You're beautiful in that picture." Draco murmured affectionately as he slipped his arm around Harry's waist.

Harry smiled lightly at the compliment before putting the cutting into his school bag. "Thank you." He said again to Hermione and, to a lesser extent, Ron.

"You're welcome." The girl said happily before turning and taking Ron's hand. "I'll meet you at the doors for Potions after lunch, all right?"

"Very well." Harry agreed.

With a final smile and a small wave, Hermione led a blushing Ron away. The two Slytherins watched them for a moment before they started over to their dining table, Draco muttering as they did. "How did I get stuck having to act all friendly with Gryffindors?"

"You did it for me."

"Oh yeah," the blond sighed before giving a huff. "The things I suffer for love."

"Yes, you are very noble." Harry said by way of a joke which Draco picked up on and grinned at.

"That smile won't last long," Pansy's voice came as the two young men then reached the table. "Just wait until the honeymoon period's over."

"Hush, Parkinson, you're bringing me down." Draco chided lightly as he and Harry sat. "Have a nice weekend?"

"It wasn't any different from how it usually was. I assume I don't have to ask you the same question?"

"Draco enjoyed himself if only because he discovered that he is fascinated by a Muggle device known as a television." Harry answered as he poured himself a cup of tea with one hand and reached for the nearby plate of cucumber sandwiches with the other.

Pansy raised her eyebrow at that piece of information and Draco blushed lightly. "I wouldn't call it a fascination." He grumbled.

Just then, the owl delivering the midday post started to fly in over head but they were ignored as Pansy continued their conversation. "So what would you call it then, Draco?"

"A mild interest."

"Draco did two things over the weekend," Harry said pointedly. "If he was not occupied with coupling with me then his gaze was fixed on the television screen."

The blonde girl immediately started laughing at that while Draco sent an unamused glare in Harry's direction, more embarrassed about the fact he had found a Muggle device interesting rather than his bonded's comments on their intimate relations. A minute or so later, when Pansy had yet to stop her chuckling, Draco turned his glare onto her and was just about to demand she shut up when an all too familiar owl landed in front of them all.

"Father's owl." Draco murmured.

Pansy immediately stopped laughing and looked at the bird in question. "Well," she said a little weakly. "At least it hasn't got a Howler."

"Father would never send a Howler, it would be like broadcasting the family's dirty washing to the entire school." The blond sighed as he reached for the envelope tied to the owl's leg. As his fingers retreated, the owl tried to take a bite at them and only narrowly missed. Draco glared. "Same to you, bloody chicken." He grunted.

The owl ruffled his feather and seemed to send a cool look in the Malfoy's direction before it had taken to the sky again. The three young adults watched it go for a moment before turning their attention back onto the envelope. None of them moved for several seconds before Draco gave a sigh and ripped open the seal, lifting the flap and pulling out the letter inside. Harry and Pansy watched him expectantly but silently. It was impossible to tell what the letter said from the Malfoy's expression as it remained completely blank, almost possessing a bored quality like he was reading nothing more interesting than a list of potions ingredients.

Eventually, Draco refolded the letter and placed it down on the table beside his plate. He didn't speak straight away but when he did, his words were clearly directed more to Harry than to Pansy. "My father is disowning me."

Harry's eyes widened in shock but it was Pansy who gave the verbal reply. "You can't be serious!"

"I knew it was coming." Draco said in a nonchalant manner which really didn't fit the situation.

"Let me see that." The girl demanded and the Malfoy handed her the letter which she immediately began to study.

"Draco," Harry said quietly, intending to only be heard by his bonded. "You do not have to pretend not to care, no one would think less of you if you were to react emotionally to a situation such as this."

"I'm fine, Harry," Draco reassured just as quietly, reaching to take the other young man's hand in his own. "It's regretable, but not the end of the world. You're my family and if my parents don't want to be part of our family then that's their loss."

Harry wasn't convinced. He was sure that Draco was putting on a show and was in fact feeling bitterly miserable inside. With no way to prove it though, he had no choice but to accept the blond's word and allow the subject to drop.

"This isn't an official document," Pansy suddenly spoke, bringing the attention of the two young men back onto her. "This doesn't mean anything definite, it could just be your father's initial angry rant. I'd give it a few days if I were you, wait to see if you hear anything more and if you don't try talking to him then. Until you get an official notice of disinheritance, this letter is nothing more than an empty threat."

Harry, at least, felt hope upon hearing that but a mere glance at Draco proved that he wasn't the least bit relieved or reassured by that. Perhaps it was because he knew his father better than the other two Slytherins, perhaps Lucius Malfoy wasn't one for empty threats. Harry wasn't really bothered in all truth. He wouldn't let his bonded be so cruelly dismissed by his parents. If it came down to it, he would visit the Malfoys himself and demand they correct the situation. It probably wouldn't be necessary though. The Malfoys, despite the way they acted around each other, were a family who loved each other dearly and Harry couldn't imagine they would remain angry forever. They were all very stubborn though...

None of that really mattered. Either the family of blonds would make up of their own accord or Harry would lock them in a room and force them to make peace with each other. As much as Draco may have denied it, he loved his parents and cutting them out of his life would hurt. Harry never wanted to see him hurt and so would do what had to be done. Only time would tell whether it was necessary though.

* * *

4th May 1998: Afternoon

Potions class was an extremely gloomy affair for both Harry and Draco. While the blond mourned the possibility that he would be cut off from his family completely, his bonded sympathised and shared in the pain. Neither paid much attention to the lesson which was focussed on theory rather than practical work. Perhaps that was for the best, however, as any potion that needed to be made would have to have attention put on it. Beside them sat Hermione who kept glancing to the two young men every so often, obviously concerned and no doubt wanting to inquire as to what was the matter.

It barely registered in Harry's mind when people started to get up to leave at the end of the lesson. In fact, it took a nudge from Hermione to have him return to reality. He blinked once or twice, as though startled, before giving a light sigh and nudging Draco. "It is the end of the lesson, Draco."

"Hmm, I know, I was just waiting for you to move." The blond admitted before he slowly began to gather up his text book, parchment and quill.

"Harry," Remus' voice suddenly called.

Lifting his head, Harry saw that Remus was standing at the front of the room with Sirius. When his godfather had entered the room, he had no idea.

"Could you stay behind for a minute please? You too, Draco."

"He wants to see the both of us?" Draco murmured to his bonded quietly, still packing his bag as he did so. "Don't they realise it's a little late to try and talk us out of the bonding?"

Harry ignored the blond's words and instead focussed on packing his own bag and returning Hermione's goodbye as she left the classroom. Before too long, the other students had left, leaving the two professors and the two Slytherins at peace. Harry and Draco moved from behind their desk and towards the front of the class so they were nearer the adults; no reason to have to shout the on-coming conversation across the length of the classroom after all.

"Did you have a nice weekend, boys?" Remus asked them pleasantly.

"Yes, thank you." Harry replied.

"If this is just for pleasantries, do you really need me here?" Draco asked rudely as he folded his arms across his chest.

Both Remus and Sirius seemed surprised by the open hostility.

"Do not mind him," Harry said quietly as he rested a supportive hand on his bonded's shoulder. "He is having some family problems at the moment."

"Shock horror." Sirius grunted. Everyone ignored him.

"Oh, well," Remus said, his tone forcefully cheerful. "Perhaps we have something to cheer you both up." Here, he paused to open one of the drawers of his desk. He pulled out a scroll of parchment and with a bright smile, stepped forward in order to hand it over to Harry. "From Sirius and I, well, mostly Sirius really. Your bonding gift."

Harry felt a small amount of surprise at that; he hadn't known they were supposed to receive gifts. He carefully took the scroll from Remus and brought it to himself. Despite his bad mood, Draco's full attention was on the parchment as Harry unfurled it. The two young men read it together and it was the Malfoy who commented on it first.

"The deed to number 10 Grimmauld Place." Draco read with a light frown before. "You bought us a house?" He asked in disbelief, his gaze lifting to look at the two adults.

Remus was smiling happily while Sirius looked somewhat awkward and gave a shrug. "I've got more inheritence than I know what to do with and a house is more useful than a toaster." He mumbled. "Besides, it's not a completely unselfish gift, you'll be living right next door to us so it just means I won't have to lose my godson straight away."

Harry moved forward very quickly then and embraced his godfather, a move which seemed to quite stun the man. "You will never lose me," the teenager murmured against Sirius' chest. "You are a part of my family." He pulled back slightly then and offered a smile. "Thank you for your generosity and kindness."

"Don't mention is, Prongslet." Sirius murmured, sounding suspicously choked up, as he affectionately ruffled his godson's hair.

* * *

4th May 1998: Evening

The sun had set and with it another day had passed. As Draco finished getting dressed in his pyjamas, Harry sat on the edge of their shared bed, looking down at the deed to 10 Grimmauld Place which he held in his hands. It had been a day full of surprise, some pleasant and others considerably unpleasant, and the Wizarding world's saviour was quite looking forward to being able to lay down his head and get some rest.

Quite abruptly, Draco's presence was behind Harry as the mattress bounced from the impact of the blond flopping onto it. He rested his chin on his bonded's shoulder and joined in on peering down at the deed. "If I'm only grateful to your godfather for one thing," he murmured through a sigh. "It's that he's given me one less thing to worry about. I have to admit that I've been doing my best to avoid thinking about where we were going to live once we graduated. Now we can just concentrate on our NEWTS. We can decide what careers we want after that."

"A career." Harry said quietly. "I cannot even think of what I might do."

"Ever since seeing that television, I've wondered over starting my own company to produce such things but with charms so they work around magic."

"You will give the gift of television to the Wizarding community; how very grand. You know how such things are made and which charms will need to be implimented?"

"No, but I shouldn't think it'll be too hard to figure out. And if it is, I'll hire someone to figure it out for me." Draco grinned playfully. "You could be my business partner, we could run it together."

"I know little of business and even less of Muggle technology." Harry pointed out. "Perhaps I will consider Auror training."

"A bit dangerous, don't you think?"

"It may be, but I can think of no other occupation more suited for me."

Draco sighed lightly at that before he shifted himself so he was sitting beside Harry rather than behind him. Almost automatically, Harry had leaned his head down to rest on the blond's shoulder as an arm looped aroud him and a kiss was pressed to the top of his head. "No matter what path you choose," Draco murmured tenderly. "I'll support you all the way."

Perhaps the excitement in Harry's life would be over from then on, perhaps he would become an Auror and the danger would continue, perhaps one day he would once again find himself getting bored of life. There were a lot of perhapses and no way to tell which, if any, would turn out to be a reality. As far as Harry could see, as he closed his eyes and revelled in the warmth of his bonded's presence beside him, there was only one real certainty. No matter what life brought, he would always have Draco and Draco would always have him.

Wherever their individual futures lay, they were intimately intertwined because above all else, Harry was certain that it was Draco Malfoy that made him necessary.

* * *

End of What it is to be Necessary.  
And so ends another tale from Dream. You'd think I'd be used to the bittersweetness of my stories coming to an end but I still feel sad when one does. All the more so this time because, although this also wasn't the longest fic ever, I've fallen in love with this AU I've created. I love my stoic Harry and I'm going to miss him terribly. Maybe I've write a different fic with a stoic Harry someday...Or would that be flogging the idea too much, do you think?  
However, before I can even think of stuff such as that, I must concentrate on my current project; my Fenrir Greyback/Harry fic! The title is Sacrifice and it's coming along nicely, have a chunk of chapters pre-written. Though, admittedly, I have no idea how long it's going to be so having half a dozen or so chapters pre-written is no real comfort to me. Therefore, I'm going to wait for a little bit before I start posting it, so I can get more chapters done. I'll be gone no more than a month though, for those who'll be keeping an eye out for it.  
So, hopefully, I'll see a lot of you with my next story. If not, perhaps we'll meet again if I return to Drarry writing. Who knows?

Whatever the future brings us, I thank you for the reviews, I thank you for reading and I wish you all happiness and health :)Hugs and love  
Dream


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